


How to Catch a Magus

by paraduxks



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: AU, AU where Blaze is open 24 hours, Alternate Universe - Magic, Anal Sex, Angst (?), Awkward Flirting, Bottom Otabek Altin, Clubbing, Cuddling & Snuggling, Familiars, Friendship, I'll add more tags as i go, Illegal Activities, Kidnapping, M/M, Magic, Minor Character Death, Murder, Mutual Pining, Nightmares, Revenge, Rough Sex, Set in America, Slow Burn, Sort Of, Stealing, Stealing Money, Strangers to Lovers, The Altin siblings are like the Winchesters but even more fucked up, Underage Drinking, a magus is a wizard, everyone is bi until proven otherwise, mages is the pluralization, otabek is occasionally a dj, otabek isn't a prostitute but he's kind of a prostitute, so if that's like a trigger or something then...tw for that, the altins are bamfs, yuri is a waitor, yuri is androgynous
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-05
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2019-02-26 13:39:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 71,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13236882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paraduxks/pseuds/paraduxks
Summary: Mages have been hunted for generations. Mortals believed them to be a threat to their society, and decided to purge their world of Mages. The Mages decided to erase all traces of their society from the world, and were it not for the impossibility of changing memories, they would have succeeded. Now, Mages live undercover around the world, evading Hunters and trying to survive. Until recently, there was hope for a brighter future. Twenty five years ago, a way for mortals to harvest the powers of Mages was discovered. No one has survived the process.Yuri Plisetsky is a young Magus, just learning how to access his powers, when his grandfather is taken by Hunters. A friend of Nikolai’s is able to save Yuri and his half-brother, Victor. They hide in a small town in Maine, where nothing ever happens. Yuri and Victor grow up out of harm’s way, living the double lives of Mages-in-hiding. They were safe, until one night when a mysterious stranger showed up and changed Yuri’s life.aka that weird hybrid of a magic au and the first percy jackson movie that nobody asked for[REWRITES STARTING SOON]





	1. Prologue

Prologue

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

2007

 

Victor’s eyes flew open. He sat up so fast he bounced on the bed, and bumped his tailbone against the hard mattress. He scanned the room for anything out of the ordinary. There was nothing there that posed a threat to him. Around his bed was a deteriorating plasma shield. The sight sent an icy jolt of fear through his blood. If the shield was breaking down, that could only mean one thing. Victor scrambled to leave the bed. He took a minute to break a hole in the plasma shield large enough for him to fit through, and then he was flinging himself into the hallway and running to Yuri’s room as fast as he could. The boy was still sound asleep, his bed surrounded by his own plasma shield. This one was also breaking down. It had gone translucent and the swirling blue was beginning to look more like lightning bolts. 

Victor swallowed his fear, and reached out one hand. He closed his eyes, and sent a force out through the Veil. He tried to see every atom between him and his sleeping half-brother so that he might disrupt the shield. Victor didn't have time for this. He needed to be on the other side of that shield right now. He concentrated harder, and pushed a little bit more. The shield took a total of seventeen minutes to break entirely, and once it was down, Victor nearly collapsed. He felt as though he was being subjected to twice as much gravity as usual. He struggled to lift himself far enough from the ground to grab at the edge of Yuri’s bed. The boy had started whimpering softly in his sleep. 

Victor dragged himself onto Yuri’s bed. He breathed heavily, taking a short break to regain his energy and balance his forces. He shifted an arm to rest on Yuri’s shoulder. The boy flinched in his sleep and whined softly upon being touched. Victor shook him lightly until he woke up. Yuri’s eyes were glazed over with tears, and as soon as he woke up, he affixed himself to Victor’s chest. 

“What’s happening?” He asked. His voice was like a rippling pond, and Victor hated it. He stroked Yuri’s hair gently. 

“It’s okay, baby,” He shushed, “It’s going to be okay.” 

“Wh-why isn't Grandpa here?” Yuri cried. Victor bit his bottom lip. 

“Yurochka, Grandpa is going to go away for a while.” Yuri’s voice cracked and became higher. Victor shushed him, and patted his back gently. 

“It’s okay, you’re okay,” He whispered. 

“I-I…I can't s-s-see him anym-m-more,” Yuri struggled to say through his tears. He choked a little bit and started coughing. Victor shifted him into a sitting position with hot tears of his own leaking from his eyes. He nodded, even though he knew Yuri couldn't see. Victor had known that there was something off from the moment he had woken up, and now that he tried, he realized that he could not sense their grandpa’s soul anymore either. He clutched Yuri tighter against his chest while the boy sobbed. 

“I know, tiger, I know,” Victor said softly, “He’s gone somewhere we can't see.” Yuri cried until dawn, and Victor wondered if he knew that their grandfather was dead. He wondered if Yuri could sense the emptiness where their grandfather had once been. It was like losing a tooth and then swirling your tongue around in the hole. The difference was that death did not feel metalic, it felt like when there was a ringing sound in your ear. The ringing was actually the sound of an auditory receptor snapping. This was not so far off from death, because now nobody would be able to sense the old man’s soul anymore. 

Shortly after dawn, Victor woke up again to the sun shining in his eyes. He was curled up and holding Yuri to his chest. His eyes felt heavy and his skin felt dry, and when he moved his half-brother’s head away from his chest, there was a visibly damp spot near his heart. Yuri’s cheeks were flushed a bright pink, and his hair shone gold in the bright light. His lips were dry, and parted ever so slightly. He looked so peaceful. Victor didn't want to wake him up. The boy was not even ten years old yet, and his grandfather had been his best friend and more of a parent than their mother had ever been. Victor was freshly eighteen and didn't have a clue how to keep Yuri out of a foster home or an orphanage. He couldn't let Yuri get taken away by Child Protective Services. Yuri was a Magus, and would almost certainly reveal himself if he was to be thrown into a home. The boy had had a difficult time hiding his abilities in public his entire life, and without Grandpa keep him in check when Victor wasn't there, how would he stay safe? 

Victor stroked his hair and stared out the window. The sunlight had turned the snow into a blinding mirror. Victor, however, knew how to fix his eyes. It wouldn't be easy, and would require the eyes of another should he go blind, but it was possible. That was one of the only things he cared about these days when it came to magic. If something was possible, of course Victor could do it. He had spent his entire life practicing the art, and he knew that he was one of the most gifted Mages in the city.

Victor looked down at his half brother again. Who would teach Yuri magic now that their grandfather was dead? Victor sure as hell didn't know how to teach magic. He didn't even know how to teach Russian to the boys in his English class who thought knowing Russian was the coolest thing one could possibly know. If only they knew about magic, Victor thought smugly. Then again, if they knew about magic, they would probably be Hunters. 

Yuri awoke at the sound of a crash. It had come from downstairs and had him springing to life and panicking. He had no clue what was happening and started crying again, clinging to Victor and telling him about the nightmare that he had. In his nightmare, Grandpa had died. Victor swallowed and told him that it was just a dream. This happened to coincide with some banging sounds that only made Yuri more afraid. 

After calming Yuri down, he rose from the tiger-striped sheets and walked through the hallway and down the stairs. The wooden floor was cold under his bare feet, and somehow made him more afraid of whatever was banging around down there. Victor slowly made a sweep of the first floor, and he found himself about to enter the den without having encountered anyone. He didn't want to open the door. He could have just run back upstairs and grabbed Yuri, and they could have Melted to his friend Chris’ house. But no. Victor reached out and turned the knob. On the other side of the door was something that he had not expected to see at all. There was an old man sitting on the floor, moving Lego pieces around so that they constructed a model of the Louvre. The window was broken, and the icy air was getting inside. It made goosebumps rise on Victor’s skin, although he couldn't care less. He gaped at the man who was somehow controlling hundreds of Legos and fitting together the broken pieces of glass again like it was nothing.  

“Who are you?” Victor asked. The man looked up, not pausing from what he was doing. 

“My name is Yakov Feltsman. And you are Victor Plisetsky-Nikiforov, yes?” Victor nodded, feeling like it was not of his own doing. “I was a friend of your grandfather’s. Before he died, he told me that if I outlived him, I was to keep you boys out of trouble.” He finished patching up the window. 

“Go get your brother. He should be here.” Victor did as he was told, having to carry Yuri down into the den. Yuri protested that he didn't want to go downstairs, and what if the man was lying. The half brothers sat on the couch while Yakov explained their situation to them. Yuri refused to look at him, and spent a while playing with Victor’s braid. He hated what was going on. He hated that Grandpa had decided to leave them behind, and he hated that this stranger had just decided that they were going to leave Philadelphia to go live with him in a stupid cabin on some island. Even if Mount Desert Island was a safe place, Yuri didn't want to leave. In Philadelphia, he went ice skating every weekend and his favorite bakery in the whole world was just a mile away from his house. What more could he want? 

Yuri sat on his bed while Victor packed up all of his clothes and toys. He even put the other furniture from the room into the suitcase. Yuri wondered what it was like inside the suitcase. If he went in, would he fall forever or would he get lost in the mountains of everything inside? Yuri sat alone in his room after Victor left the room to go and pack his own things. He wished he had his colored pencils right now, so he could draw on the blank walls of his room. He felt as though the walls and ceiling were pressing in on him, choking him and causing him to become lost in a space he had once known so very well. He wanted to cry, but wouldn't allow Yakov to see his tears. The man looked like a witch, and Yuri hated witches. He didn't care that he was a Magus and witches weren't real- Yuri hated witches. 

The next midnight, Yuri clutched Victor’s hand once again. He didn't want to admit that he was scared, but Victor could probably feel it. Yuri could feel it when Victor’s soul was scared or happy or lusting after a pretty girl. He could even feel the souls of strangers sometimes, when they were at emotional extremes. 

Yakov entered the room, and touched Victor’s shoulder gently. Almost instantly, their surroundings changed. The three of them were in a small room that combined a kitchen and a living room. Yuri felt horrifically bad, and almost instantly collapsed onto his knees. He started coughing, and vomited onto the periwinkle rug. He clutched his stomach and wheezed. Victor knelt down next to him, and held his shoulders tightly. 

“Its okay, tiger, it happens to everyone their first time,” He said softly. Yuri felt like he was going to start crying again. There was heat behind his eyes as he threw up again, this time with nothing to cough up but bile. He choked, and the tears started to fall from his eyes. His crying was more like coughing. Victor pulled him onto his lap and the boy curled into his chest, creating another damp spot right next to the old one. Victor looked up at Yakov apologetically. 

“It’s fine, boy. I’ll clean his mess. You can take him to your room, right there,” Yakov said, and pointed at a closed door. Victor nodded, and grunted when he stood up. He carried Yuri into the new bedroom. There was a large bed in the corner, with the ceiling slanting up from the side next to the wall, and a window in the ceiling that was covered in snow. On the opposite side of the room from the bed, there was a desk with a lamp on it next to an open closet. The closet was empty and small. On the same wall that the door to the outside room, there were four shelves and a radiator that was clunking softly. Victor set Yuri down on the bed, and told him to try to vomit onto the floor if he felt like he needed to again. Yuri was then left alone to cry and clutch at his stomach, as though that would help him feel better. He hated that he felt so weak. He sat up on the ugly maroon quilt and balled his hands into fists. He was going to become strong. He promised that to the empty space where his grandfather’s soul had once been, and slammed his fists into the mattress. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey yall! I'm super hyped about this AU brain managed to cook up, so now it's online for your reading pleasure. Come check me out on tumblr: 
> 
> paraduxkys.tumblr.com


	2. one

 

Yuri held eye contact with his reflection. To anyone else, he might appear to be vain. In reality, he was annoyed because the particles of his hair weren't listening to him. They refused to move as he told them to. Yuri had been experimenting with new looks lately. There had been more disturbances in the Veil than usual over the past couple of days, and he was trying to exploit them. He could feel the population of Mages growing smaller in the world, just as he could feel himself growing more powerful by the day. The Veil was clearer than ever before. He hated it. Yakov told him not to worry about it, but Yuri was far too restless.

He decided to give up on the hairstyle after his temples began to scream. He breathed heavily, glaring at his reflection. Using magic was like using a muscle, and he felt incredibly weak. Yakov would always tell him to give his brain time to develop, but Yuri didn't have time for that. There was too much going on, and after he was done with school, he was going to investigate what was happening. Yakov had told him that there was nothing enough times to convince him that there had to be something, and Yuri was going to figure out what it was. He was plenty capable, first going into the Veil when he was in third grade. Yuri had gotten in trouble when he came home from school. But Yakov thought that he was too young to go into the Veil at seventeen. Victor had been going into the Veil since they lived in Russia, and he was fine.

Yuri gathered himself once more before focussing his energy again and moved the sweat that had gathered on his forehead and under his arms into an orb before dropping it into the sink. He wasn't sure why, but it was so much easier to move matter that was not part of himself. It didn't make sense. He could throw Victor across the room  whenever he wanted to, yet he couldn't move his own goddamn hair. Yuri reached out and grabbed a small doorknob on the mirror and opened it. He retrieved his toothbrush and toothpaste from the medicine cabinet. He brushed his teeth, and when he was done, left both articles on the counter. He played with his hair until it had been in the position he wanted it in. He kept it that way for a few seconds before deciding that it looked stupid. He combed his hair to the right before leaving the bathroom. He went to the kitchen, and rummaged around in the silverware drawer until he found a pair of chopsticks. He returned to the bathroom and attempted to manipulate the chopsticks as he would his own fingers. By the time Yakov was yelling at him that he was going to be late for school, Yuri managed to get his hair into position. He left the bathroom and grabbed his backpack. He slung it over one shoulder and left the house.

Yuri jogged down the long, gravel driveway to meet Yakov where he had parked the car next to the road.

“Why are you out here?” He asked angrily.

“You were being slow,” Yakov said. They got into the car, and Yakov began driving. When they arrived at Yuri’s school, Yakov turned his head to look at the boy.

“Did you do something to your hair?” He asked. Yuri rolled his eyes.

“Obviously.” He had two braids that wrapped around his head and became one on the back of his head. Yakov narrowed his eyes.

“I don't like it.”

“I don't care if you like it,” Yuri said, and got out of the car. He kicked the door shut

and joined the flow of students walking towards the building. He could feel the soul of his friend, Mila, running up behind him. She was giddy, which meant that she was planning on trying to scare him. Or maybe she had something important to tell him. He turned around to see her directly behind him. Her face fell almost instantly.

“Damn it, Yura, how do you always know when I’m behind you?” She whined. He smiled.

“I can see everything, Baba,” He said. She groaned, and punched his shoulder. He stumbled a little bit. Mila had very poor control over how much force she used. She, in her incredible strength, had grown accustomed to using the amount of force she could handle. Yuri was relatively strong, but hadn't just come off a winning wrestling season like Mila had. They walked into the building together, and went about their day. They had lunch together, where Mila talked about a boy she was trying to flirt with. Yuri scrolled through his Instagram feed, half listening to her. He was calm, and somewhat beyond thinking consciously. He was light and warm, and her words felt incredibly clear. He closed his eyes for a moment. Though it felt like just a second, the bell was ringing. Yuri’s eyes snapped open, and he fell forward. He caught himself just hard enough for his palms to sting. He looked up, and Mila was staring at him like he had grown a third head.

“Are you okay?” She asked. He didn't know. His internal balance had been disrupted. For the first time in ages, Yuri didn't feel completely in tune with his magical abilities. Instead, he felt like shit.

“I’ll tell you at work,” He said. Mila looked confused, but didn't press on. They had their last period class together, which was Calculus. Mila hated it, but she hated math in general. She had never been good at math, and had always asked Yuri for help with her homework. Yuri didn't mind. He liked math. It made sense to him, just like magic. There was a set of rules and situations that one could be in, and if you had been paying attention, you knew how to figure it out. Of course, magic was a little bit different because  of how much abstract thought was required to do anything.

After class, Mila and Yuri caught a ride into town with one of her friends, a girl named Sara. Although ‘town’ wasn't that much. In Bar Harbor, there was only one street that was crowded with shops, restaurants, and tourist traps. That was something that Yuri hated about Bar Harbor: it never failed to be overrun by tourists. They tended to eat out more, clogging up his favorite restaurants, and gathered in groups to go on boat tours of the island.

Another thing Yuri hates was the Bar Harbor was on a fucking island. The air in the downtown area always smelled a little bit salty and the sun set obnoxiously early. There was nowhere for him to leave to. Other people, in other cities, could just get in a car and leave if they wanted to. Yuri could Melt whenever he pleased, but he had nowhere to go. Even if he did, he wouldn't know how to direct his body to get there. Other people had friends or family that lived in other places, but Yuri had no one. Just Mila’s house, a couple minutes away from downtown. He didn't even know how to get to Philadelphia anymore.

Sara’s car stopped in front of the Abbe Museum, and Yuri rose from his slouch almost instantly. His skin was vaguely tingly. He untied his hoodie from around his waist and pulled it on before getting out of the car. The sun hurt his eyes a little bit. It was a lot brighter than before. The sun did that a lot in the spring. Mila got out of the car on the other side, and joined Yuri on the sidewalk.

“Aren't you going to close the door?” She asked, and pointed at where he had left the back door open. He slammed it, and put his hands in his pockets. Mila rolled her eyes. “Thanks, Sara!” She shouted. Yuri didn't understand why. The window was open. Sara smiled out at them.

“Anytime!” She shouted back. Yuri turned to face the ocean. He could barely see it through all the shops and trees and people. It must have been high tide. That was strange for this time of day. Sara drove away, and the two of them started walking down Main street. Mila pulled her phone out of her pocket.

“We’ve got and hour and twenty minutes before work starts,” She said.

“Let’s go to CJ’s,” Yuri suggested. Mila shook her head.

“I can't eat ice cream right now.”

“Why the fuck not?” Yuri asked, “It’s been three weeks since states. You have literally nothing else to train for.” Mila shook her head.

“I’ve got to stay in shape for next year.” Yuri felt cold all of a sudden. Next year, Mila would be at UCLA. The island would feel even more like a prison without her.

“That’s next fucking year. You’re allowed to have _one_ ice cream cone between now and then,” Yuri said, and shoved her playfully.

“That’s why I’m not wasting it.” She shoved him back, and he stumbled into the road.

“Watch your strength, Baba,” He said, and hopped back onto the sidewalk. “So…CJ’s and then the Village Green?” She sighed.

“Fine.” When the pair of them arrived at the ice cream shop, there was, of course, a line. CJ’s was the most popular ice cream shop in Bar Harbor, and was thus always crowded. In the summertime, there was always a line out the door.

Yuri got blueberry cheesecake ice cream, and when Mila refused to order, he got her a cone of salted caramel ice cream. She was a little bit annoyed, but didn't refuse eating it. The two of them left the shop and crossed the street to the Village Green. It was a big grassy field that took up an entire block. There were winding pathways through the field that led to the gazebo and the area where tourists waited for the bus to take them to the cliffs or Jordan Pond or Cadillac Mountain. It wasn't too crowded today, so Yuri and Mila headed to an empty area and sat on the ground to eat their ice cream. Mila took off her sandals with her feet.

“Just use your hands,” Yuri said. He did kind of want to take his shoes off too, but refrained. He was wearing socks under his slides, and he didn't want to get them dirty. His current choice of footwear was probably already too informal for the manager. She was an old Russian woman named Lilia, and anything less than perfect that happened in her restaurant meant a stern talking to in the breakroom.

“Gotta lick the ice cream before it melts,” Mila said. She licked up the side of the cone with half closed eyes, and made an over-the-top moan after she had covered her tongue in ice cream.

“If that’s the way you suck cock, I feel bad for the guys you fuck,” Yuri said. She shoved him again, gentler this time.

“Shut up,” She laughed, “You’re not a cock-sucking prodigy either.” Yuri frowned.

“I totally suck cock better than you,” He said, and licked his ice cream.

“Fuck off!” Mila shouted, attracting the attention of an old woman walking a tiny dog. If Yuri was correct, the woman worked at the gas station over on Cottage Street. She was gone before he had time to get a clear look at her face, though. Yuri laid down on his back, looking up at the sky. It was just a little bit cloudy, and the cold from the ground felt good on his back. He held his ice cream up above the grass with his right hand, and brought it to his mouth to lick it. Mila had started talking about something new, but Yuri wasn't listening. He felt nice inside. After finishing his ice cream, Yuri ate the cone and turned on his side to look at Mila. She was currently talking about how one of her friends was dating a guy who she happened to think was a piece of shit. She was just having a hard time finding any evidence against the guy. If Mila thought the guy was a piece of shit, he had fifty fifty shots of being one. She sometimes had near-Magus like abilities to read people, and sometimes she had the intuition of a rock.

Yuri stretched his back out. He was going to heavily enjoy this summer. He wasn't going to enjoy the stupid tourists or the drunk people who forget the word no, he was going to enjoy seeing movies and getting a bottle of wine from the store and then going up into the mountains in the middle of the night, or maybe to that island you could walk to during low tide. He was going to enjoy getting ice cream from CJ’s and going to the mainland for Mila’s birthday. He was going to enjoy walking around the rocky beaches and shoving her into the seaweed. He was going to enjoy casual hookups where he was revered as a king until morning, and got treated to a night at the Grand Hotel and making out in the hot tub.

“So how’s your love life been?” Mila asked. Yuri shrugged.

“Don't have one anymore, Baba,” He said.

“You need to start dating again, Yura,” She told him. She had finished her ice cream too by now. “If you spend forever moping about Jesse, you’re never going to find someone else.”

“We do not speak his name, Baba,” Yuri warned her. He felt colder already.

“Jesus, Yura, calm down. It’s almost June, you can't get away with this shit anymore.” Mila was referring to his uncontrollable ability to make it snow when he was sad. Yuri absolutely hated it, especially when he was inside. It was so hard to get it to stop snowing, even after he had calmed down.

“It’s your fault for talking about him,” Yuri said. Mila put one hand on his shoulder, and stroked him gently.

“Jesse is a piece of cock, nobody’s arguing with you there, but please, Yura, its so cold.” Mila was right. Yuri could only imagine how cold she was, in her cropped top and shredded jean shorts. He was a bit overdressed for the previously warm and sunny day, and even he was feeling cold. Yuri took a deep breath, and tried to push Jesse out of his mind, and think about better things. How he was going to leave the island after high school and find Victor, who had also left after he finished school to become an adventurer. How he was going to find his grandfather’s soul one day. How he was going to have an apartment in the middle of a city, with everything he wanted inside. He might even get Mila an apartment in the same building. Yuri sat up, and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He checked the time.

“We should go to work,” He said. Mila pulled her own phone out of her pocket and checked the time herself.

“We have a couple minutes.”

“I said, we should go to work.” Yuri stood up and crossed the street, leaving Mila behind to lay on the grass. He walked away from the ocean to the restaurant where the two of them worked. It was called Blaze, and it had a bar that Yuri was usually stuck working at on late nights. He didn't mind working there, except for the stupid people and horny drunk people who wanted to touch him. It didn't matter that he was too young, he looked pretty and always wound up playing some drunk person’s therapist. Their problems were boring to him, although, with a little bit of magic on his side, Yuri could probably actually be a well-paid therapist. That is, if he could refrain from telling them he didn't give a single flying fuck about their problems. He didn't even know if it was legal for him to work there.

A couple minutes after Yuri had changed into his uniform, he signed in and wound up serving a family of what had to be tourists on spring break. There were two girls who looked like they were close in age sitting on one side of the table, and a mom and a dad on the other side. At least, Yuri hoped that the adults were the parents of the little girls. He introduced himself, and took their drink orders. The mother got his favorite cocktail on the menu. He would forever deny taking a sip himself whenever he had to deliver or make one, but anyone who had worked there long enough to get to know him knew that it was true. The girls ordered the most obnoxious dishes for Yuri to carry out. One was a fajita tower and the other was two tacos that were served in a dish that resembled a claw-footed bathtub. The father ordered a steak, and once Yuri was done with them, he was tipped at thirty percent. He stuffed the money into his apron pocket and continued on with serving the dinner rush. As he had predicted, he received a call from Yakov at sunset asking where he was.

“Jesus Christ, Yakov, I’m at work. Stop calling every fucking day.” Yuri hung up before the old man could say anything. His shift ended at nine tonight, and when he was done, he and Mila went to a coffee shop on Roderick Street to do homework, however, they mostly wound up talking. Yuri chugged three shots of espresso throughout the first half hour they spent there, and two more in the next.

“I need it, Baba,” He told Mila, “Yakov’s gonna have me awake until the sun comes up.” They left when they were kicked out at eleven. They walked to Mila’s house, not too far from Roderick Street, and Yuri was able to Melt back to Yakov’s house without being seen. He felt very physically tired, but his mind was on edge and he was living in a fourth dimension. After arriving in the cabin, Yuri left out the back door and walked about fifteen minutes into the woods, until he found Yakov sitting on a boulder with his eyes closed.

“You’re late,” The old man said. Yuri shrugged with his hands in his pockets.

“I was working. At the job _you_ told me to get, so that I could seem more like a human,” Yuri snapped, “If you want me to be home at fucking five, then don't live in the middle of a goddamn forest.”

“You are extremely good at magic, Yura. You haven’t had any difficulties with Melting in over a decade,” Yakov said. Yuri rolled his eyes.

“You told me that it wasn't safe for me to Melt in public,” He said. He was seriously at his wit’s end. Yakov opened his eyes and turned his head to stare into Yuri’s soul, like a psychotic owl or some shit.

“But you did it anyway.” Yuri hated when Yakov started meditating. He clearly must have been, if he could tell that Yuri had just Melted home. It took Yuri a long time to get to the point where he could sense a force as small as the one he used to Melt. He was a lot better at Melting than most, according to Yakov. He created even less of a disturbance than Victor did.

“So?” Yuri asked. He plopped down on the ground, and crossed his legs. He began his warm ups. He identified each of his thoughts, and purged them from his mind. He battled each and every one of them, and some were harder than others. It was so much harder to banish the thoughts of the last weekend from his head, and the thoughts of how Mila was moving to literally the opposite side of the country in a matter of months, than it was to get rid of the memory of a grown-ass man who had winked at him and licked his lips at Blaze or the time he made a blizzard happen during the summer- He had been inside at the time, too. Clearing his mind was no easy task. Whenever he managed to get a few thoughts to leave him alone, a new one popped up. It was like how a cartoon dam always busts a new hole after the first one is plugged. Yuri managed anyway. He was too talented to fail entry to abstraction.

Upon arrival, he was calm. Yuri felt nothing and everything at the same time. He could feel every single particle that made up his body, and he could feel the area between them and the empty space between the nuclei and electrons of his atoms. Yuri felt as though he could slide apart into liquid at any time. He was there. He opened his eyes.

“No!” Yakov shouted, and Yuri was out of the Veil.

“What the fuck, Yakov?” Yuri shouted, and stood up. “I was there, and I was fine!”

“What do I always tell you? You can't just open your eyes up right away! There’s too much information coming at you and your brain will start to think again!” Yakov gestured angrily at the ground. “Again.” Yuri cracked his knuckles. Yakov didn't know what he was talking about. Yuri was young and talented and better at magic than Yakov. He could handle opening his eyes! He knew how to be in the Veil with his eyes open; everyone knew how to do that! He spat on the ground between them, and sat down again.

“No Melting until Tuesday,” Yakov said, “Continue.”

“What the fuck?” Yuri mumbled, and closed his eyes. If Yakov didn't want him to get annoyed, then maybe he shouldn't have been such a fucking jackass. He took his sweet-ass time getting to the Veil this time. In fact, he didn't even start trying until he was done thinking about his plans for the next day. He was thinking about going out to Long Pond with Mila before they went to work, or maybe even going alone. Yuri wouldn't mind getting a canoe for a few hours to lounge about in the middle of a lake. Maybe he would even drive himself around with magic alone.

But when he left the fantasy world, he shoved every thought from his mind once again, this time a lot faster. Once Yuri entered the Veil, he took a deep breath, and focussed his energy on the ground beneath him. He could feel every detail of every point of contact he had with the ground, and how his pants were sandwiched between his legs and the dirt. Yuri forced his pants to leave the ground, and by extension, his legs. He pushed too hard, almost, and shot up into the air. Yuri didn't open his eyes, not even when he could sense the change in altitude. He wanted to, so much, but according to Yakov, he needed to see with his mind or some bullshit like that. Yuri shifted his legs so that he appeared to be standing on nothing. That was about the furthest thing from the truth. Atoms are mostly empty space, and Yuri had simply gathered more from the surrounding air and filled them up a little bit. That was what he was really standing on.

Yuri was hardly using a muscle in his body. His clothes were pressed by the surrounding atoms to his body. He flew about, doing things that would have been impossible were it not for his abilities. Yuri was incredibly happy that he was born a Magus. He knew what it felt like to use the gift, and how powerful he was. Yuri opened his eyes, and continued as he went along. He looked back towards the house to see the soul of his beautiful familiar, Potya. He called out to her, screaming her name with his heart, and thought of her at his side. Potya then began to materialize as her atoms teleported nearly instantaneously to Yuri. He held her, and looked up at the moon. It was a waning gibbous that night. Yuri was glad that the full moon was over.

Every full moon,Yakov lead something like a prayer on the island. It took place deep in the woods, or on one of the nearby uninhabited islands. It was never the same place twice, and they never met at the same place twice within the same year. Yuri thought that the entire thing was absolute bullshit. There were around ten thousand people living on the island, and something like six hundred of them were Mages. The last three times Yakov had held the dumb event, Yuri had spent the entire time counting souls out of boredom. The previous night, there had only been three hundred and seventy six. If two hundred twenty four Mages didn't go because they didn't feel like it, then why did he have to?

Yuri stopped making his clothes press so tightly to his body. He fell deeper into his pants, and the collar of his shirt started to choke him. His muscles clenched up as a panic response. He had no idea why; he had known what was going to happen. He took a moment to figure out what speed he should use to return to the ground. As soon as he started to descend, he let out a breath. Breathing had just started to become difficult, and his balls had been awkwardly crushed by gravity and his thighs. Yuri touched down on on the ground, feeling like his head was tingling. He let Potya go, and she leapt from his arms and ran through the clearing to lay on a rock.

“Yuri, why is your familiar here?” Yakov asked.

“Battle spells,” Yuri said. He brushed a chunk hair out of his face.

“You’re not going to have your cat with you when a Hunter attacks you. You’re going to be at a disadvantage, and you need to learn to turn the worst situation into the best. Your cat amplifies your abilities, but she won't be at school or a bar or wherever you’re always going off to.”

“Fine,” Yuri grumbled. He knew it made sense. He just really loved his cat. He hadn't seen her since the weekend, and he knew that she missed him. He could feel it. But he sent her back to the house anyway, and stood in front of Yakov with his hands out in front of him. The old man sighed, and took a jump back. He floated back to the other side of the clearing without rising more than a foot.

“Go through your combative attacks,” He said. Yuri began with the type of attack he was best at. He made a gentle swipe at nothing with one hand, simultaneously creating a wave that ripped through the air and slammed into a tree so hard that a squirrel was knocked from one of the branches. One of Yuri’s hands shot out. He sent energy down through his fingers and into the air. He made a sort of cushion for the squirrel out of concentrated atoms, and then set it down gently on the dirt. He smirked to himself when he felt the squirrel’s confusion. That squirrel would wonder for the rest of its life what had stopped it from falling to the ground. It was a good thing squirrels couldn't talk, or he would have just exposed magic to the world.

Yuri went back to practicing his air attacks. They consisted of sending waves through the air and bending the rules of physics. Yuri would take a small hop, and fly ten feet into the air before coming down headfirst to send a huge, pressurized wave at an imaginary opponent before he flipped around to be able to stand again. After that, he moved on to using light as a weapon. Tonight was a good night for such a thing, as the light from the moon and stars was fairly substantial and let him manipulate the world with the photopheresis effect.

Once he was done with light, Yuri moved on to create a shield for himself out of solidified light crystals, and then out of plain air. He practiced skills which fell under combat for hours, and only when Yakov told him to just stop did he finally stand still in the clearing. He panted slightly, trying to make it seem as though he could breathe just fine. In reality, he didn't know how he was still standing.

“You need to keep your emotions in check,” Yakov told him, “They started to cloud your perception nearer to the end, and you became unfocused. You started to leave the Veil before you were done.” Yuri nodded.

“Can I go home now?” Yakov dismissively flicked his wrist, and Yuri Melted back to his bedroom. He finally let himself breathe heavily. He gasped for air as he leaned against his bed, and by the time he finished exhaling he was low on oxygen yet again. Yuri leaned back, trying to get his lungs in a position where they could expand the most. Once he had regained his ability to breathe, Yuri went to the bathroom. It was small, with the shower being stall that was smaller than the sink. If he wanted to sit down in the shower, he had to hug his legs to his chest.

Yuri undressed and stepped into the shower. He felt sluggish as he cleaned himself. He wanted to use magic t o control the water, but even he knew when to stop. He used his muscles instead of his mind, and then dried his hair and braided it with his hands. Yuri put his clothes back on and went to sleep with Potya next to him. He only got around two hours of sleep, which was a little less than usual. He was in a strange zone of sleep depravity where he was completely energized and yet he was about to drop dead at the same time. He drank half the pot of coffee before leaving the house and going to the car, where Yakov was waiting. The ride to school passed in silence, as Yuri finished a physics worksheet. He got a Monster energy drink from a vending machine in the school lobby before homeroom, where he took a ten minute nap before repeating the previous day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi yall! Here's chapter 1 of the story. If you liked it, please leave a comment or kudos. They really do motivate me. Writing for both this and my other story, Twenty Years In Summers, are going to be a bit slow in the upcoming weeks because I'm busy as fuck with sports and homework and midterms. 
> 
> Important thingy: I am currently without a beta reader. I've been self editing for a while, and I don't think that it's satisfactory, so if anybody wants to, you can talk to me on tumblr (paraduxkys.tumblr.com). Thank you all so much for reading.


	3. two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A wild content warning has appeared!
> 
> It's mentioned that a minor is exploiting grown men, and it's not stated that she's doing it sexually, but it's implied. 
> 
> And something that's sort of but not really prostitution happens? I'm not sure what to call it. People sleep together and then money gets stolen. 
> 
> There's cheeky bum sex too, although it's probably not what you're expecting... 
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!
> 
> (I don't condone pedophilia, for those who might yell at me about that.)

“My name is Yuri, and I’ll be your server today. Are you, uh, are you ready to order your drinks?” He asked. The hot guy stared at him another second before opening his mouth. 

“Good afternoon, Yuri. I’ll have a water, please.” Yuri was unable to keep a smile from his face. Customers that said hello to him came around maybe once in a blue moon. He nodded, and wrote down the order on his notepad. He turned to look at the hot girl. 

“And for you, miss?”

“Promenade,” She said, not looking at him. She glared through the screen that separated the patio tables from the street, arms crossed. Yuri nodded out of habit, and wrote her order down as well. 

“I’ll be right back with those,” He said, and smiled. He turned around and walked back to the bar. He ordered the girl’s drink, and then leaned against the bar for a moment before taking the orders of one of his other tables. After the hot girl’s drink was up, he got the hot guy’s water and delivered them to the table. He noticed that they were talking on his way over. Just as soon as he was close enough to hear what the girl was saying, she shut her mouth and made a strange hand gesture. The guy looked down at his napkin. It was unfolded and the corner closest to him was crinkled. 

Yuri held the tray with his right hand, and put the water next to the guy. “Here you go,” He mumbled.

“Thank you,” The guy said. Yuri nodded, and moved to set the girl’s drink down next to her. She turned to face him at the last possible second, and he found himself distracted by her eyes. The sudden eye contact was like a punch to the stomach. He was suddenly acutely aware of his entire body. 

“Thanks,” She said. She turned away. Yuri could still feel everything. Every single particle that made up his body, and every single point of contact between his skin and his clothes. Yuri was too calm to be able to think. He was on fire.

“A-Are you ready to order, or do you need another minute to decide?” Yuri stuttered. The girl shrugged.

“I don't care.” 

“I, uh, I need a minute,” The guy said. He looked up at Yuri with big eyes. 

“Sure,” He said. The guy kept looking at him. His eyes were nothing like the girl’s eyes. Fundamentally, they looked the same- Narrow and almond shaped with black irises- but his didn't make Yuri hyper aware of himself. At least, not as much. 

“Um,” The guy said, and raised one eyebrow questioningly. 

“Right,” Yuri said, and nearly sprinted back to the kitchen. He found Mila leaning against one of the walls, chatting up one of the chefs. He grabbed at her arm. “Mila,” He gasped, “There’s something super weird going on with table nine.” 

“What do you mean?” She asked. He lead her out of the kitchen to a place where they could see the table. 

“Damn,” She said, “He’s hot.” Yuri sighed, annoyed. 

“I noticed. B-But look at the girl.” Mila nodded. 

“Also hot.” Yuri punched her arm gently. 

“Can you feel it too?” He whispered. She turned her face towards him. 

“What’s going on?” She whispered back. Yuri bit the inside of his bottom lip. He suddenly felt stupid. The feeling from the way she had looked at him was wearing off, but it was still semi-present. He knew what the feeling was. The acute awareness, the calmness, the inability to think- Yuri had been in the Veil. How was it possible for her to send him into the Veil? Not even Yakov was able to pull something like that, and he was the strongest Magus Yuri knew. He had to find out more. He whispered in her ear, cupping his hands so that nobody heard. 

“She’s like me.” Mila looked confused for a moment before her eyes flew wide. At the same time, the girl turned to look at the two of them. 

“That's creepy,” Mila said, and turned around, pretending like she was getting someone’s drink from the bar. 

“Can you cover for my section for a minute?” Yuri asked. Mila nodded.

“Fine, but you owe me.” Yuri handed her his notepad and ran into the break room. It was empty, so he sat down on the floor and spent a couple minutes going into the Veil. Once he was there, he didn't open his eyes until he was back in the restaurant. He tried to focus and not let anything distract him once he opened his eyes. He didn't speak, moving fluidly through the restaurant until he found Mila. She was taking the orders of a family sitting near the Magus and the hot guy. Once she was done, he held out his hand. She gave him a weird look, but handed him his notepad. Her soul was confused. Yuri took the notepad away from her and walked back to table nine. 

“Are you ready to order?” He asked. The guy looked up from his untouched water. 

“Y-Yes please,” He said awkwardly, “I’ll have the roasted mushroom panini.” Yuri nodded, and wrote down the order. He shifted his gaze to the Magus. She was curious.

“And for you, ma’am?” She glared at him again. 

“What are you doing?” She asked quietly. Her soul was angry now. She looked into his eyes again, and then her soul went into shock. Yuri felt the same way, as he suddenly felt like his skin was full of needles. She was trying to push him out of the Veil, but it wasn't working. Yuri held his ground. Against his better judgement, he smirked at her. 

“Calm down, Liya,” The guy said, and then looked up at Yuri. “I’m sorry, her social skills are-” 

“So, your order…?” Yuri asked. The guy looked like he would rather be anywhere else. 

“Chicken tacos. Flour tortilla. No coleslaw,” She- Liya- growled. Yuri forced a smile onto his face. 

“Sure thing. I’ll be right back with those.” The Magus’ soul was even angrier now. Yuri turned around and went back to the kitchen. He ordered their food and leaned against the wall, panting slightly. The girl was so strong. She had almost succeeded in pushing him out of the Veil. It should have been impossible for her to even put him there in the first place. She was probably younger than him, for Christ’s sake! Yuri tried to keep his footing in the Veil, staring at the back of a chef. He breathed, and then left the kitchen to deliver some food to a different table, and then fill up the waters of another table. Yuri breathed. He stayed calm. He wouldn't let himself be panicked or controlled by a little girl, no matter how insanely powerful she was. Yuri wiped his sweaty palms on his apron, and took another deep breath. He closed his eyes, and looked back at her soul. She was still boiling, but in a different way than she had been before. She was reaching out to the guy- Her friend? Yuri couldn't tell. Their souls were similar, but just different enough to make confuse him. Sometimes, the souls of siblings looked nearly identical. The two of them did have physical similarities, but the souls were where it was at.  Souls emitted low level electromagnetic signals, which could be observed within the Veil. Yuri had enough experience to know the difference between the soul of a Magus and the soul of a human. The guy wasn't emitting either one of them. It was too small to be that of a Magus, but in comparison with a regular human, the guy’s signal was off the charts.

“Okay,” Yuri murmured to himself. He stood up, and walked out into the restaurant. He looked down at his notepad. Table thirteen had ordered a raspberry craft beer and a Sprite. He brought them their drinks, and then went back to the kitchen to see if any of his orders were up. There was a bacon burger ready, which went to table eight. Yuri tried not to look at the Magus while he was delivering the food. He could feel her soul staring at him. She was calming down, albeit slowly. Yuri went about his business, delivering food and taking orders, cleaning tables and charging credit cards, stuffing tips into his apron and sometimes talking to Mila. He took over one of her tables for her after some guy started making comments about her boobs. 

“Thanks, Yura,” She said softly, and hugged him with one arm. “Can I take table nine?” She asked, raising her eyebrows. He pondered it for a moment, before nodding. 

“I’m delivering the check.” The two of them talked in the kitchen for a couple more minutes before a Korean chef whose name Yuri couldn't be bothered to remember told them to get out and stop being distractions. Yuri sighed, and while they were on their way out, he noticed that table nine’s food was up. 

“Mila, that stuff goes to table nine,” He said, and pointed. She nodded, and took the food to the table. Yuri leaned against a wall, scanning the restaurant for anything he needed to do. He continued to work, forming a blister on his right heel. He knew that he shouldn't have worn these boots. They looked like hooker boots. Yuri wondered if they would still be functional if he cut off the heels somehow. Probably not, but he could just unfuck the situation with magic. It worked all the time. 

Things went back to normal, and Yuri was more or less calm until Mila tapped him on the shoulder in passing. 

“Table Hot People is ready for the check,” She said. A chill ran up his spine. He swallowed. 

“Okay,” He said. The two of them knocked knuckles and Yuri left to get their check. He walked over to the table, and was surprised to find that the Magus’ soul had calmed down. She was looking at the guy, who was talking in a language that Yuri didn't understand. It sounded something like Russian, and it sounded more natural with his voice than English. The two of them looked up when he approached. The Magus’ face remained blank. 

“Hello again,” She said in English.

“Hi,” Yuri said in response. He felt stupid. “I have the check right here for you. You wanna split it, or…?” They both shook their heads. 

“I’ve got it.” He held out his hand. Yuri handed him the checkbook, and felt as though he was a regular human when their hands touched and his heart started to hammer. The guy was really fucking sexy. He had high cheekbones and a sharp jawline. There was a scar on his left cheek and a healing cut over his right eyebrow. His lips weren't quite pink, nor were they the same tan as the rest of his skin. They were cracked in some places, and looked like they had been bleeding recently. His black hair was styled in an undercut, and it was just a tad wavy. If Yuri had come across his picture on the Internet, he would have taken a screenshot and sent it to Mila so they could objectify him. He was pulled back to reality by the realization that he seemed to be having an impromptu staring contest with the man and that it was really unprofessional. What was he thinking? The entire waitering experience with table nine had been unprofessional. Yuri tore his eyes away from the hot guy’s, and focused on a point in the middle of the table. 

“Okay, well, I’ll be right back,” He said softly, and walked away for a minute. The girl started laughing almost as soon as he left, and now he burned out of shame. Yuri brought the food to three other tables before he went back to table nine. He felt his heart start to beat faster as he was walked towards the table. The guy picked up the checkbook, which now had two crumpled twenty dollar bills sticking out of it. He winced as he handed it to Yuri, and oh, God, he shouldn't have looked so sexy when he was in pain. Their hands touched again, and Yuri panicked. He yanked the checkbook to his chest, and tried to smile at the guy. The guy looked a little weirded out. 

“Keep the change.” Yuri nodded. 

“T-Thanks for coming to Blaze,” He said, “We hope to see you again soon.” The guy smiled with half of his mouth. 

“Thank you, Yuri. And tell Mila thanks too.” Yuri nodded. He turned around. His grip on the checkbook loosened. He felt like he needed a break now that he was done with that train wreck of a table. He heard the two of them getting up, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see them leaving the restaurant. Yuri went to the cash register to put the money inside. When he opened the checkbook, he noticed that a phone number was written on the receipt, with a name below it.  _ Otabek. _

“What the fuck,” He whispered. He didn't have a clue what to start thinking. It was against his personal policy to take anyone’s phone number, but he just felt compelled to this time. He looked around for a moment before snatching the receipt and shoving it into one of his pockets. He felt as though he was stealing. He put the money in the cash register and waited around next to the kitchen for Mila to come around. 

“Baba, you need to see this.” He said, and the two of them went to the breakroom almost instantly. Luckily, it was still empty. 

“What’s up?” She asked. 

“First, the hot guy says thanks.” Mila smiled. 

“Damn right he says thanks,” She mumbled smugly. Yuri wondered if he really wanted to know why she was so smug. 

“Second, I got his number.” Yuri whipped out the receipt, grinning triumphantly. Mila’s eyes went wide. 

“What the fuck?!” She said, and snatched the piece of paper from his hand. “Lucky!” She whined. “Even his name sounds sexy. At least, I think that’s his name.” Yuri shrugged.  

“Sounds pretty masculine to me.” 

“You know what this means, right?” Mila asked. “You  _ have _ to call him!” Yuri shook his head. 

“But wouldn't it be, you know, weird?” 

“If you’re not gonna tap that, then I will,” She said. Yuri took the receipt back. 

“It’s mine, bitch.” Mila scoffed. 

“Let it be known that the power of boners is stronger than the power of friendship,” She said sardonically. Before Yuri could retort, the door was opened by the manager, Lilia. 

“What are you two doing in here? You’re in the middle of your shifts.” Mila looked at Yuri out of the corner of her eye, with a smile so big on her face that he couldn't see her cheekbones. 

“Yuri’s gonna tap something super fine.” He lost all faith in her. 

“Screw off,” He hit her gently with his shoulder. Lilia looked even more cross. 

“Both of you are being very crass. You’re not to act in such a way, not at my restaurant. Get out of here, and stay out until your shifts are over.” She paused while they walked to the door. “And Yuri, I don't know what Mila means when she’s saying you’re going to tap something, but try to keep your personal affairs out of the workplace.” Yuri nodded. As soon as they were back in the main room of the restaurant, Mila started giggling. 

“Shut the fuck up,” Yuri growled. That only made her laugh harder. 

“You’ve got to admit, its a little funny,” Mila said. Yuri couldn't see any humor in the situation, but Mila was, well, Mila. That was something she did very well. 

“Ha fucking ha,” He said. 

“There you go!” Mila said loudly, throwing an arm around his shoulder. At that moment, Lilia emerged from the break room. 

“I said, back to work!” She snapped. The two of them broke apart and went in opposite directions. Yuri found himself giggling, although he had no idea why. 

 

* * *

Aliya pulled the gun out of her belt, and threw it on the bed. She pulled her shirt off, revealing the bulletproof vest she wore underneath. Aliya pulled off the vest, and pulled two more knives out of that. She then took off her own boots. She also had a Gil Hibben in each boot, which she tossed carelessly on the bed. She bent over forward, and undid the bandana she wore over the top of her head. Underneath, there was another bandana. This one was black instead of red, to match her hair. Between the bandanas, Aliya had been storing three shurikens. They clattered to the floor, and she picked them up. She tossed two of them on the bed, and then twirled the third one around her finger a couple times before she set it down on the bed too. She sat down in a chair, and pretended that she wasn't wincing. She waited for her familiar, Orawish, to come out from wherever he was hiding. After the snake had curled itself on her lap, she looked up at Otabek with a poorly concealed grin on her face. 

“Do you think the waiter was freaked out?” Otabek nodded. 

“That was unnecessary.” She shrugged. 

“It was fun.” 

“He sent someone else to give us our food, Liya,” He said. She scoffed. 

“You’re just saying that ‘cause you thought he was cute.” Otabek wanted to sink into the bed and never return. He and Aliya didn't talk about that sort of thing. It was an unspoken agreement between the two of them. He wasn't even supposed to think that Yuri was cute. 

“No I didn't,” He protested. Aliya was grinning now. 

“I can tell what you’re feeling, Beka. You thought he was cu-ute,” She sang mockingly. It made her voice crack. He rolled his eyes, smiling at her anyway. 

“B-But didn't you want me to think that?” He asked. She shrugged. 

“I don't really care what you think about him. All that matters is that he’s curious about you, which he definitely is,” She said, stroking the snake. “Like I said, he could be useful.” 

“You shouldn't have scared him.”

“What was I supposed to do?” 

“You shouldn't have put him in the Veil,” Otabek said. Then again, he knew that there was nothing he could do to convince Aliya that what she was doing wasn't right. In fact, it was almost definitely better than writing everything down on the back of the receipt. Otabek didn't even know if Yuri had kept his number. But forcing someone into the Veil, nearly killing herself- That wasn't the right approach either. 

“It was the only choice,” Aliya said. 

“An oxymoron.” 

“So is cold sweat, but you do it a lot anyway,” She retorted. She crossed her arms. “You need to get him on board with us, Beka.” 

“Is he really that powerful?” He asked. Aliya nodded with wide eyes. 

“Trust me,” She said, “If you get in with him, he can make sure we never get hurt again.” Otabek’s gaze dropped to her stomach. One of her hands was not-so-subtly pressed against her lower obliques. 

“How are you doing?” He asked. She shrugged. 

“Fine.” She was lying. Otabek didn't need to be a Magus to figure that out. He stood up and walked over to her. She glared at him while he crouched in front of the chair and lifted her shirt. The bandage over her wound was dark red, but the outermost layer wasn't wet yet. 

“You don't look fine,” He said. She continued to glare at him. 

“And you don't need to worry about me.” She kicked him gently in the stomach. He fell back, knocking his head against the frame of her bed. “Take off your shirt.” 

“What?” 

“Do it.” He pulled off his shirt. Otabek felt like he was under a microscope, and not in a good way. 

“See, you can't talk to me about how much pain I’m in.” He looked down at his own torso. He was covered in bruises, most of which were deeply purple or even black. There was a huge burn on the left side of his waist, and the places where he had been cut were raw and uncovered. The spot where he had been stabbed, just above his belly button, was covered with bandages that had turned a dark red and were shining slightly in the low light granted from the lamp on the bedside table. 

“I can handle it,” He said. 

“Put some goddamn bandages on! Jesus Christ, Otabek, are you trying to get infected?!” She shouted, and stood up. The snake wrapped around the back of her neck to avoid falling off. 

“A hospital would ask too many questions.” 

“I don't care if you go to a hospital or not! Just bandage your fucking cuts! You can't refuse to leave Vermont before I put a bandage on when you’re not going to do the same thing!” Aliya punched his shoulder. He inhaled sharply, and his hand shot up to cover it. Her eyes widened. “Oh, God,” She whispered, “Are you okay?” 

“I’m fine. I just pulled a muscle during the fight.” 

“Beka!” She shouted. She looked like she was somewhere on the road to being afraid. It was the first time in a very long time that she had looked that way. “G-Go bandage your cuts,” She said tiredly, “Take your gun.” He put his shirt back on, but then changed it to a darker one when he noticed that there was a red spot on his stomach. He pulled on his leather jacket, and put his gun into his belt loop. Aliya threw her arms around him before he left the hotel room. 

“Be careful.” 

“I’ll be back soon,” He promised. She nodded. 

“I know you will.” It took him all of thirty eight minutes to find a place where he could buy some bandages. After returning to the hotel room, he put them on. Aliya walked into the bathroom while he was in there and started doing her hair and makeup. He hated watching her undo the hair she usually had braided to the back of her head and shake it loose. She must so uncomfortable, knowing that longer hair was easier to manipulate. It was even worse to see her do her makeup. 

“You should get dressed,” She said without looking up. “Make sure you look like a thot.” 

“We always look slutty when we go out,” He said. She raised an eyebrow in agreement. Otabek left the bathroom and rooted through his suitcase until he found a mesh tee shirt and leather pants. He contemplated his choice for a minute- Leather pants would be hard to fight in and the mesh shirt might raise too many questions if people could see his bandages. He rooted around in his suitcase again until he found a sleeveless vest. He decided that that would do, and got dressed. He went into the bathroom, wondering how he would do his own makeup tonight. He only really knew how to do a corner-working hustler or a Broadway extra. He decided on the basic stage makeup. With that, he could pass for older.

He and Aliya went to a shady bar a little bit after ten. He reveled in the confusion of the guy at the door. Aliya always had to do her makeup in a way that made her look older, and so did he. They were both short and wiry, so sometimes they got turned away even though their fake IDs said that Otabek was twenty one and Aliya was nineteen. Otabek remembered the first time Aliya had come with him to a bar. It had been disgusting. She pushed the man up against the wall and kissed him, after which he let her in, no questions asked. Otabek hated the man. What kind of person had no moral reservations with that? 

Otabek couldn't really say anything, though. He had lost his virginity when he was fourteen, to a man who offered a hundred dollars for the night. Now that he was eighteen, that was sort of how he made his money. He found someone who looked like they wouldn't miss a couple hundred dollars and slept with them. When they fell asleep, Otabek robbed them and left. He forbade Aliya from doing the same. Not all of his scars came from fighting for his life. Instead, she hustled pool, gambled with loaded dice, and picked pockets. A pretty face and boobs could get you uncomfortably far in the world they lived in. 

Otabek watched his sister from the bar. She was surrounded by men. They kept touching her, and it made him sick to watch her pretend to flirt with them. He knew that he couldn't jump in to stop anything from happening, not if he wanted Aliya to make any money tonight. He ordered a whiskey, and scanned the room for any wealthy looking men. It was hard to find the right person at this sort of club, but he managed to find the right man within an hour or so. By then, Aliya had signaled to him several times that she was making money. He did have some admiration for the way she was able to put up that persona for so long. It was the same sort of admiration he had for villains. Otabek got up and walked over to the man. 

“Haven’t seen you around here before,” He said softly. It was his turn to start acting, and of course, he picked the worst line in the book as an opener. The bartender raised an eyebrow at him, but the man didn't notice. He was too busy staring into the foam of his untouched beer. He chuckled. 

“I, uh, I’m from Silicon Valley. I’m here for business.” Otabek instantly sat down next to him. 

“What kind of business?” He asked. The man’s eyes were locked on his. 

“I’m a neurosurgeon.” Otabek forced a chuckle, and knocked his elbow against the man’s arm. 

“What’s a guy like you doing at a place like this?” The man looked down, and bit his lip. 

“Sometimes, neurosurgery ends in death.” 

“Oh my god! That’s so sad!” Otabek wondered if actual people flirted like this. What he was saying felt so stupid and fake, but that was a struggle he faced almost nightly. He was in the process of learning to make fun of himself. At least the man wasn't too hard on the eyes. He looked to be in his mid to late thirties, with tousled brown hair, blue eyes, and a slightly overgrown five o’clock shadow. He wasn't fat, nor was he thin. His nose and fingers were long, and he was a lot taller than Otabek, even when they were sitting down. 

“Wanna talk about it?” He nudged the man with his bare elbow. 

“I’m not legally allowed to do that…” The man trailed off, “Patient confidentiality, you know?” Otabek sighed. 

“Well then…wanna forget?” He picked up his glass of whiskey and took a sip while he raised his eyebrows. The drink burned his throat and made him want to gag, but if he really wanted to sell himself, he needed to play the part. Too bad the script was trash. The things he did for money…Sometimes he wondered if he was even allowed to have his personality and worldview when  _ this _ was how he made money. 

He bought a drink for the doctor, and then another and another. At first, he declined but wound up telling Otabek the entire story of how he killed his patient. It took a shot of vodka mixed with tequila for him to spill, and then another one to lean on the boy’s shoulder. Otabek declared him drunk enough when the man started to lick his neck. He looked over his shoulder to wink at Aliya. He could faintly here her telling the group of men that it was her bedtime. God, their lives were so fucked up. 

“I can help you, if you want me to,” Otabek said. He tried to make his voice as sweet as possible as he trailed one hand down the man’s chest. 

“Please,” The man said. He had another beer before he stood up and started to yank Otabek’s arm until he stood up as well. He was pulled to the man’s side, where an arm was wrapped around his waist and a hand found its way to his ass. Otabek gritted his teeth. At least the man seemed like the type to treat him right. He was terrified of getting in a car with the man, though. He was praying that they wouldn't die the entire drive, and when they got to an expensive looking resort-type hotel, the man lead Otabek to a room with a great view of the ocean. He felt a tiny bit bad for the man. He seemed like a genuinely kind person, and no one deserved to have someone die on their watch. 

The man laid down on the bed, and motioned for Otabek to lay down next to him. He did. 

“W-What’s your name?” 

“Saken,” Otabek lied. “And yours?” 

“Jeremy,” The man said, and rolled over top of Otabek. “How old are you, Saken?” 

“Twenty one,” He lied. Jeremy snorted like he didn't believe him. 

“Okay,” He laughed, and leaned down to kiss Otabek. He tasted like alcohol. That was the only type of kiss Otabek had ever had. He didn't understand what the big hoopla was around kissing. It was always so slimy and uncoordinated and the person was always desperately grabbing at his body. They were always either too drunk or careless to make it a good kiss. To the world, Otabek was nothing more than a consciousness within to something for people to fuck. He wanted to vomit when Jeremy started kissing his neck. Instead, he pretended to moan. It wasn't exactly bad. Jeremy was actually a lot better at keeping himself together than most of the people Otabek fucked. Sex with Jeremy might actually be good, but there was no way he would like it. He didn't think he would ever actually like sex. And before he could realize it, his shirt was gone and Jeremy was staring at his torso. 

“God, Saken, what happened to you?” 

“Not important,” Otabek said. There was no way he was letting a neurosurgeon from Silicon Valley get away just because he was a little messed up. Jeremy looked concerned.

“Are you sure we should be doing this?” Otabek acted on a whim, and shoved Jeremy onto his back. He was going to regret this in the morning. He undid the man’s jeans and shoved them down to his knees. Without warning, he shoved Jeremy’s cock down his throat. One thing lead to another, and soon enough his throat was raw from being fucked. Just before Jeremy came, Otabek pulled his head up. Jeremy panted, running his hands over every part of Otabek he could reach. Otabek wanted to rip his hands away.  _ A neurosurgeon from Silicon Valley, _ he reminded himself. He let himself get rolled onto his back, and pretended to laugh with Jeremy when the man had a hard time getting the leather pants off. He didn't understand what was so funny about the situation. He let Jeremy shove his long, thin fingers up his ass. The man kept asking if he was okay every time he moved. At the beginning, it had been touching. He could almost pretend that he was Jeremy’s boyfriend. After a couple minutes of fingering and constantly asking if he was okay, Otabek pulled Jeremy’s head to his own and thrust tongue into the man’s mouth. 

He gasped when the man put his cock in. He had been a little bit right. It wasn't bad. Jeremy was gentle at first, but then he started to thrust as though it were going to save the life of his patient. He shouted Saken’s name when he came, and then collapsed onto the boy. He breathed raggedly, and Otabek stroked his hair gently until he fell asleep and his own penis deflated. Not that it had been that hard in the first place. Otabek stayed still and alert until he was sure that Jeremy wouldn't wake up for anything. Only then did he start to move. He edged himself away from the man. He flinched at the cold wetness when he started leaking, and went to the bathroom to clean himself up. His ass hurt. He tried to make as little noise as possible while he got all the semen out of himself. When he left the bathroom, he was impressed that Jeremy was still asleep. Otabek yawned, and got dressed again. He looked around the room until he found the man’s wallet. He snatched one of the credit cards, which he returned after a visit to an ATM located in the lobby. He left the hotel three hundred dollars heavier. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think is gonna happen next? Did you like that chapter? If you did, comment below, or message me on tumblr (paraduxkys). 
> 
> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> If you want to be a beta reader for this story, you can talk to me on tumblr. (Please, I really need the help and it would mean so much to me.)


	4. three

Yuri stroked Potya absentmindedly with one hand and backspaced out of a text with the other. What was he even supposed to say? It had been two days since the hot guy- Otabek- had been at Blaze. Maybe he should call. He pushed the idea away immediately. He couldn't. It was too weird. He had been poking around in the Veil a lot lately, trying to find the girl again, but it was like she had disappeared. Yuri had spent most of the previous day in his room. He cast his mind out over the whole island. He investigated the souls of all ten and a half thousand inhabitants, and it took him three hours to even find Otabek’s soul. Or rather, twenty six copies of Otabek’s soul. 

He asked Yakov what such a soul meant, and was shocked to learn that it was possible for Mages to have a human child. Twenty six of those people were currently on the island. That only made Yuri more frustrated. He couldn't fucking tell if Otabek was still there if there were already twenty six people just like him! Yuri exhausted himself to the point of near death trying to learn everything he could about each of the twenty six souls. He was starting to be able to distinguish between genders, but that was as far past species as he could get. He was infuriated. Yuri was the grandson of a legend, and he had been trained and raised by another legend. Hell, his brother was Victor Plisetsky-Nikiforov. Some people would probably use him as a hostage to get their hands on someone as powerful as Victor. 

Yuri groaned. Why was he having such a hard time with this? He knew how to find souls, just like he knew how to text boys. Besides, the only reason Otabek had written his number on the receipt was because he wanted to fuck Yuri. Yuri was sexy and androgynous and he would be surprised if he could go a school day without being reminded of it. Everybody thought he was pretty, and everybody, even people who liked pussy, wanted a piece of him. So why was it so hard for him to find the right thing to say to Otabek? It wasn't even supposed to be complicated; they were supposed to set up a time and date, and then fuck when it rolled around. 

 

_ this is yuri. _

 

That felt too awkward and artificial. It was putting literally nothing on the table. 

 

_ hi, im yuri, that hot waiter you had a couple days ago. _

 

No, that was stupid. He deleted the text.

 

_ hi, i’m yuri. i was your waiter a couple days ago and you put your number on the receipt. wanna fuck _

 

Yuri backspaced out of the wanna fuck. It had been a joke anyway. He wasn't going to be embarrassed by saying something as stupid as that in the first text. Why did he care so much about this dumb boy? 

 

_ this is yuri, that watier you gave your number to. how’s your life going? _

 

Yuri finally decided that that one was the least stupid before hitting send. His heart plummeted when he noticed that Otabek had read the text. He yelped, and flung his phone away from himself. It clattered against his desk before falling on the floor. Potya lifted her head alertly, and then rested it back on her front paws when she realized that there was no threat. Yuri pulled his hair down over his face and groaned. He quickly entered the Veil and floated his phone back. The screen wasn't broken, thankfully, but he had scuffed the case. Yuri turned it on, and found himself breathing a little easier with the knowledge that Otabek hadn't responded. He took a screenshot of the conversation and sent it to Mila

 

_ [Screenshot20186211:26] _

_ wtf do i do hag _

 

**imo its beyond the point of no return**

 

**lmfao ‘how’s your life going?’**

 

**i love you but you’re such a dumbass**

 

_ what was i supposed to say _

 

**send nudes?**

 

_ Fuck you _

 

**breaking out the capitalization are we?**

 

**really though sending a picture of your face never does any harm**

 

**that way he knows extra who you are**

  
  


Yuri closed out of the conversation with Mila. As soon as he did, however, his confidence left him. That was how he wound up scrolling through his camera roll for hours trying to find a good picture of himself. He had no reason to want to impress this asshole. Yuri sat up and punched the mattress, causing Potya to stand up and walk to the opposite end of the bed. He got up and stood facing the window. Using his phone as a mirror, he brushed his hair over his right eye, and shifted his head around until his jawline looked a little bit more defined. He then tried to get his hair to catch on the light, but it was too cloudy outside for that to work so he simply took thirteen pictures until he found one that he liked. He sent the picture, and felt like a fool. Just as instantaneously as he had read the first text, Otabek saw the picture. Yuri clicked out of the conversation. He couldn't do this without a distraction. 

 

_ are you busy _

 

Mila texted back almost instantly. 

 

**ya im at the history museum with sara mikey georgi n emil**

 

_ fuckers _

 

**Hey yura remember that time emil threw you into the ocean**

 

Yuri froze. He had decided that he was never going to talk to Emil again after the Incident. He had been at a party on the beach, and he had gotten separated from Jesse, so he had gone around asking people if they had seen him. Emil happened to be one of those people, and by the time Yuri approached him, he had been looking for quite a while. He was tipsy and horny, and he distinctly remembered yelling at Emil before he was picked up and thrown into the ocean. He in the water for a moment, trying to piece together how he had gotten there. There was sand filling his shoes and the water was ruining his hair, and he had burst out crying. A crowd of people had surrounded him, and then when he tried to stand up, he was hit in the back by an exceptionally large wave. Yuri fell down, and was laughed at some more. 

Jesse then ran into the water and the two of them went to his house, where Yuri got changed into some of his clothes and he pretended that this was all there was to his life. He was open with Jesse about everything except for magic. Somehow, he still managed to fuck it up. That was just who he was, and there was no point in trying to change himself. Even if he could stand to be friends with Jesse again, he would never be able to trust him. It was sort of like that with Emil. He had apologized, but at the end of the day, he had thrown someone else into the ocean for being rude. Yuri didn't want to be friends with a guy like that. 

 

_ im going to the village green _

 

_ catch me there if u wanna when youre done _

 

Yuri got dressed, grabbed his wallet, and put his hair in a ponytail. He Melted to Mila’s basement, and then snuck out through one of the windows. On his way to the Village Green, he stopped by Jalapeños and got takeout. He nibbled on a piece of his quesadilla while he waited for a response text from Mila. He finished his lunch threw out the bag before he Mila responded, at which point Yuri grew bored. He wandered around the Village Green, winding up at the fountain. The bottom of it was filled with coins, and there were a couple children playing in it. 

Yuri looked down at his feet. He was wearing keens. Maybe it would look like he was a babysitter if he went in the fountain. He felt compelled to climb in, but abstained. He was seventeen. What if someone he knew walked past? He sat on the edge of the fountain, facing CJ’s. It was all of five minutes before his resolve cracked and he turned around. He took his shoes off and plunged his feet into the water. He couldn't look  _ that _ weird. He gathered the coins towards him with his toes, pulling a few out every so often. 

Yuri looked up from his coin-gathering to look at his phone, but almost instantly forgot. There was a force within the Veil even more distracting than Instagram. It was close. He looked up, wondering if he could see it. His eyes instantly latched onto a pair of people walking down the sidewalk. It was  Otabek and the Magus girl he had been with. Yuri was frozen as he watched the two of them walk around the perimeter of the grass and cross Main Street. They paused for a moment before going into CJ’s. Yuri kept his eyes trained on the door to the ice cream shop. They were in line, just inside the building. Yuri’s heart hammered while they were inside. He decided to enter the Veil while they were in there, and when they came out, Yuri was acutely aware of himself. He stared at them while they walked through traffic and wandered around the field with their ice cream cones until they found a spot to sit down. Yuri pulled his feet out of the fountain, the pile of coins forgotten. He pulled his shoes back on, and kept his eyes fixated them. 

After they finished their ice cream, they got up and left. He followed them until they went into the Grand Hotel. After they went inside and Yuri was still walking, he nearly kicked himself for being such a creep. God, what was wrong with him?! Apparently, though, Yuri had no idea how to learn from his mistakes. The next day, he and Mila were in town, shopping, when Otabek wandered into the store they were in. Yuri’s fingers clenched around a shirt he and Mila had been mocking. He stared at Otabek as he went into a cooler and pulled out two blueberry sodas. He got a whoopie pie before going to the checkout. 

“Baba, look,” Yuri hissed. He pointed, and Mila gasped. 

“Oh my God!” She shouted. 

“Shut up,” He said, “Don't want him to notice us.” Mila rolled her eyes. 

“Well then, what the fuck are you going to do? You can't just wait around forever, Yura, you have to actually do something. That’s how these things work, you know.” 

“Doing something is weird. Doing nothing is weird. Everything is weird!” He exclaimed, accidentally too loudly. Yuri felt the eyes of everyone with his vicinity on him. 

“Embrace your weird!” Mila sang, prancing up to Otabek. Yuri slapped his forehead, and threw the shirt down. He still stared at the two of them. Mila was talking to him like they had known each other their entire lives. He couldn't hear all of what was being said, but Mila seemed to be advertising the island. He tried not to pay attention and go back to looking at the damn shirts, but Mila just had to call him over, and he just had to indulge her.

“This is Yuri,” She said, and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, “But you already knew that.” The bitch was dead. Yuri threw her arm off of him. 

“Don't touch me,” He spat. 

“Hi,” Otabek said, “I’m Otabek.” 

“I know who you are,” Yuri snapped. What the fuck was he doing? He was trying to find out who Otabek was! Even for his own standards, this was a terrible way to meet someone and introduce himself. If Lilia could see him now, she would slap him. 

“Right,” Otabek said. He was looking Yuri in the eye. He wasn't used to strangers doing that, especially not those upon whom he had waited. Otabek stuck out one hand. Yuri stared for a moment before shaking it with as much ferocity as he could summon. 

“So,” Mila said, “What were you saying, Otabek? You came from Vermont?” Otabek looked back at Mila. 

“Yes. My sister and I-” Yuri was oddly relieved, and then full of a hot rage that spawned from not understanding why. “-were visiting family, and things got cut short. Now, we’re here on vacation.” 

“Just like everyone else,” Yuri muttered. 

“What?” 

“Acadia is a national park, so it’s a cheap vacation for a lot of people. Its not summer yet, but its about to be, and summer is when I regret being alive,” Yuri explained. 

“You’re such a drama queen,” Mila said, shoving him gently. “It’s a little crowded.” 

“Bitch, look out the window.” 

“That’s your opinion, Yura.” 

“What the hell do you mean by that?! The street is fucking crowded with tourists, how is that an opinion?” Otabek took a step back. 

“I can leave,” He said quietly. 

“You don't know if they’re all tourists!” Mila shouted.

“Yeah, because the entire tow loves to be in the same place at the same time!” Yuri retorted. Otabek took another couple of steps back. He paid for the sodas and the snacks, and then left the two of them to argue. Aliya was using a kunai knife to cut the whoopie pie in half before they realized that he was gone. Their lives proceed as normal- Mila went home, and had her big family dinner. Yuri went to Paddy’s and got takeout. He caught a ride out of town with someone he knew from school- A guy named Leo. He Melted back to Yakov’s cabin when he was sure he was unnoticed. He watched Stranger Things, ate his fancy-ass Irish nachos, and cuddled Potya until Yakov called him out for training. Yuri went to sleep without showering that night, and he felt calm when he curled up with Potya that night. 

Yuri had work on Sunday morning, and got off at four. After that, he and Mila decided to go down to the waterfront. They walked up and down the street, pretending that they were among the rich tourists who stayed at the hotels that lined the inland side of the road and ate exclusively at the oceanfront restaurants that lined the other side. Yuri grew bored faster than Mila, and he decided to break away and go down to the rocky beach. His sandals became filled with water, and he grew tired of skipping stones. 

“Hey, Mila?” He asked, as the two of them sat on a boulder not far from the end of Agamont Park. They were throwing pebbles, seeing who could make a throw past the rocks and the washed up seaweed into the ocean. 

“So he does know my name!” She exclaimed. She stood up, and pitched a palm-sized stone like a baseball. It bounced off a seaweed clump and then splashed into the water. “That’s in!” She shouted. 

“I think the fuck not,” Yuri said. 

“I’d like to see you do better.” He raised his hands in defeat. 

“And it’s in.” Mila grinned, and sat down. 

“What’s up, brother?” She asked. Yuri knocked his shoulder against hers and leaned his head on her shoulder. 

“Do you think it’s warm enough to go to Sand Beach?” Mila shrugged. Yuri went back to using his neck to support his head. 

“Depends on what you want to do there.” Yuri groaned. He paused for a minute, staring at the ocean. She was totally going to laugh at him. 

“I want to get a tan,” He said. Mila laughed for a moment, and then her face turned serious. 

“Oh, you weren't joking.” Yuri rolled his eyes. 

“I would look sexy with a tan,” He said.

“No, you would not,” Mila said, “You can't even tan, you just get red and puffy.” 

“I would look like one of those California girls who stays on the beach all day, and doesn't even need to wear sunscreen anymore…” Yuri said quietly. 

“They all have skin cancer,” Mila said. 

“I welcome death,” Yuri said, “I’m going to Sand Beach.” He stood up, and started walking. Mila didn't join him, and he looked back at her over his shoulder. “Baba?” She was picking up a new rock, and pitching it into the ocean. 

“Have fun with your skin cancer,” She said. Yuri scoffed,

“Come on, Baba, its literally the only nice beach in town.” Mila turned around, and paused. 

“I’m bringing my rocks,” She said. She spent a little while collecting rocks, and Yuri helped her after he grew bored of watching. They didn't actually leave for a while, but by that time, they looked like they were smuggling something a lot worse than rocks onto the bus and Mila was of the opinion that it was the most hilarious thing she’d ever experienced. Yuri sat next to the window, listening to Mila talk about a party she wanted to go to. It was going to be tonight, which Yakov certainly wouldn't approve of. Mila didn't have a boyfriend at the moment, and she felt safer with someone to scare off unwanted boys. Yuri was going. It would probably hurt Mila’s chances of finding someone to go home with, though. 

Sometimes, Yuri wished that he was the same age as Mila. All the seniors were throwing parties now that school was about to end. They had not a care in the world, and their parents were all proud that they were going to Bangor or Portland or some other city in New England in September. Their parents couldn't care less if they studied for finals; instead they cared that their children were graduating. Yuri couldn't wait to be done with school. There was a year between him and the rest of the world. It was simultaneously entirely too long and hardly any time at all. When he got to the mainland, the first thing he was going to do was find a city he liked. He would get an apartment there, and make it his home base. He would fill it with gemstones and other things that reminded him of magic. He would hardly ever spend the nights at home, though, because he would be too busy making love to the most beautiful stranger he could entice. 

He would be like Victor, even though he loathed to admit it. He would travel around America, and sometimes Canada too, practicing magic and learning all he could about Hunters. And maybe he would find Victor while he was at it. That is, if Victor wasn't dead. The thought of being hunted sent a shiver up his spine. Nobody had survived a Hunter in twenty five years. An idea he had had in his childhood rose up once again: What if he could survive? He now knew that nobody could survive Hunters anymore. They killed to satisfy their own pettiness, and they would drive a knife through his heart the minute they knew who- what- he was. Yuri wished that Mila could be his fake girlfriend to protect him. If she was, she would be dead before she could step in front of him. Yuri was raised on his grandfather and Yakov’s stories of their adventurous pasts. His grandfather had been a symbol of hope in the sixties and seventies, and for a while, there was a chance that Mages could stop living in fear. Yuri didn't know the specifics; he had been a couple months away from seven when his grandfather had died. 

The last time Victor had been on the island, he had told Yuri that he planned on continuing their grandfather’s legacy. Their grandfather’s life had been wrapped up in a group he had started. It was called Murph. It was an acronym that Yuri forgot as soon as he heard it. He probably wouldn't even know what it was if he had just read it. He had grown up knowing the word, and from what he understood, it was a group of Mages who hunted Hunters. Yuri hoped to every God there was that Victor’s knowledge of Murph wasn't dead. If it was, he probably didn't have much more than a year to live. 

Yuri banished the growing feeling of dread from his stomach. He was going to go to a party tonight. He would study for finals every day of the week, he promised. Who he was promising wasn't certain- Himself? His teachers? Yakov? He didn't care. He was about due for a crazy party, though. He hadn't been to one since spring break, when all the rich kids went on vacation and everybody left on the island threw parties. He promised Mila that he would go with her, but the second she started crying over her memories with someone, he was leaving. It was all the seniors had been doing for weeks. Yeah, there were some people who would never see eachother again after high school. A lot of them would leave for a few years before coming home, Yuri predicted, and they would see each other again then. Besides, if they loved each other enough, they’d rarely be uncertain about the next time they were going to see each other. 

When they arrived at the beach, the first thing the two of them did was take off their shoes. They left them on a boulder that was near the path that lead from the road to the beach. It was a little bit into the woods, but nobody would take two pairs of sandals from a rock. It was messed up to steal someone’s shoes, Yuri thought. 

With their arms and pockets filled with rocks, Yuri and Mila ran down to the water’s edge. It became an unofficial race sometime after they passed an old woman who was staring at the water. They sprinted into the icy surf at about the same time. Yuri let all of his rocks fall. He wanted to kneel down, but he wanted to not get his clothes wet even more. 

“I win!” Mila shouted. 

“I think the fuck not,” Yuri panted. 

“You need to do more exercise, Yura. You’re all out of breath,” She teased. She was breathing a little heavier than normal herself, but Yuri wasn't going to point it out. Mila was a superstar. 

“I’m totally in shape,” He panted, “You’re just an athlete.” Mila giggled. 

“Whatever you say!” She reached down and picked up a rock. She threw it out into the ocean like it was a softball. It went impressively far. Yuri went next, finding a smooth, flat rock. He tossed it like a frisbee, and it went pretty far, but not nearly as far as Mila’s had. She threw the next one overhand, tripping over her feet this time and landing in the water. She leapt up as if she had been burned, and looked down at herself. There was a big, wet spot from her solar plexus down to her thighs.

“Yura, should I take my shirt off?” 

“What?” Mila sighed. 

“I don't want it to be all wet and sandy when we get back,” She said, and shifted her weight to her right hip. “But on the other hand, I can't take it off.” 

“Why?” He asked, “I’m sure your tits look fine today.” Mila rolled her eyes. 

“You know that’s not what I’m talking about.” Yuri did indeed know what she was talking about. Mila might not have looked like it, but she had killer abs. 

“You’ll make everyone drool,” He said, and took a swipe at her stomach. Mila yelped, and jumped back before he could touch her. 

“Bitch, don't do it,” She warned. Yuri smirked, and took another swipe. Mila took a step out of the water. 

“Don't do what?” He asked, trying not to laugh. Mila gave him a warning look. Her eyes may have been angry, but her lips were pressed tightly together and her cheeks were swollen with a smile. Her shoulders were bouncing slightly. She was laughing. Yuri found himself smiling as he chased her around the beach, screaming and laughing the whole time. He reveled in the civil unrest among tourists they caused. They wound up soaked and covered in sand. Yuri’s own abs hurt, as he was laughing too much. He did eventually catch Mila, hitting her stomach too hard for him to feel anything. She coughed, and then paused to glare at him. It wasn't having the desired effect, seeing as her mouth was contorted into a nameless shape as she tried not to smile. For some reason, it was the funniest damn thing Yuri had seen all day, and he covered his mouth with both hands as he cackled. He started to run away from her, having a hard time breathing from how hard he was laughing. He couldn't outrun her for long, and she caught him around his waist. All the air was forced out of his lungs, and he was lifted above her head. Yuri rolled to the right, and fell around seven feet to the sand. All of the air was forced from his lungs. 

Yuri didn't get up. Instead, he relished the feeling of the sand burning his shins, and the drunk, bubbly feeling he had that made his cheeks heat up and all exhaustion leave him. He smiled into the ground before rolling onto his back. He knew he would probably be washing the sand out of these clothes for the rest of time, but he didn't care at the moment. He hadn't felt like this in a long time. 

“I rest my case,” He panted. 

“How about no,” Mila said. She paused. “I’ll do it if you do it.” Yuri sat up. 

“Why are you so ashamed?” He asked. Mila was red. 

“Nobody wants a girl with muscles.” Yuri blinked. He wanted to slap somebody. 

“Nobody wants a guy without muscles like those, but you don't see me crying over it.” She smiled. 

“Did you just admit that you’re a little bitch?” Yuri turned away. 

“Hell no! I’m manly as fuck!” Mila shoved him playfully. 

“Manly men don't say they’re manly as fuck, Yura…” She smirked. Yuri was done with this bullshit. 

“I’ll have you know my cock is huge.” Mila giggled again. He slapped his forehead internally. What force of nature had compelled him to say something so stupid? 

“Only guys with tiny baby cocks say that,” She laughed, and gently slapped his thigh. Yuri squaked and pulled his leg away from her. 

“It-It is!” He told her. It was. As an average comparison to the other cocks he had seen in his time. It was hard to have a dick like his. 

“Mm-hmm, and I have tits like an anime character,” She said, with a sardonic bite to her words. 

“Shut the fuck up,” Yuri said, trying to be completely serious, “This is objectifying! This whole thing, with the abs and the cocks and the tits!” When a middle aged woman turned around to give him a particularly vicious glare, he almost wished he hadn't said that. Almost. 

“You started it,” Mila said, raising her hands as she shrugged. “Although, seriously, thank you about the abs thing. I know what you meant.” Yuri nodded. 

“I supply my services where they’re needed.” 

“Now you sound like a prostitute.” 

“Your mom’s a prostitute.” 

“I’ll turn you into a prostitute,” Mila said. Yuri didn't know why, but he found it stupidly funny.

 

* * *

 

Yuri rested his head on Mila’s shoulder. He was exhausted and bright red from the sun. His legs were crossed, as they had forgotten to get their shoes back and he refused to put his feet on the nasty bus floor any more than he had to. Mila didn't seem to care. She was leaning against the window with her eyes closed. Yuri was tempted to close his eyes too, but he was afraid he might fall asleep, and as designated Spot Watcher, he had to make sure they didn't wind up going around the Park Loop for hours on end. He tried to focus on listening to the music that was playing softly over the speakers. It was one of those love songs that Yuri hated. He couldn't find it in himself to believe that a  _ person _ could light up someone else’s world that much. People broke hearts, they didn't add a new meaning to life. 

Yuri stared at people’s heads and faces, annoyed by the toddlers bouncing around their tired looking mother, and a couple of sophomores from school who were cuddling in their seats. He ignored the fact that he was almost doing the exact same thing with Mila. When the song ended, Yuri found himself staring at a beautiful man in the row in front of him on the other side of the bus. He looked familiar, Yuri thought. He kept staring at the man. He tried to see the man’s soul without going into the Veil, but he just couldn't do it. He gave up, not wanting to expend the energy it required. Yuri kept staring, this time harder. The man started to fidget, and eventually turned around. Yuri didn't even try to cover it up when his bottom lip fell away from his top one. He had been looking at Otabek. Their eyes met for a second, and Yuri was momentarily distracted. Otabek looked so pretty in the light of the setting sun. His skin was darker and it looked more alive. His eyes looked slightly more chocolatey, while his hair was now darker than a black hole. His left cheek twitched, and he turned back around. What a fucking traitor. 

“Fucking hell,” He said. He had meant to say it quietly, but he never did have good volume control. He shifted so he was closer to the edge of his seat. He watched Otabek text, and he was suddenly filled with something that made him feel like he had just done an extensive core workout. Yuri ground his teeth, and pulled his phone out of his back pocket. He elbowed Mila in the ribs, not looking at her. 

“What the fuck, Yura,” She groaned. She rubbed her eyes, and watched him point at Otabek. She shrugged. 

“He’s a seven. Eight? Don't wake me up for shit like that,” She said. Yuri opened his phone to his conversation with Mila.  _ its otabek dumbass _ . Mila instantly whipped out her own phone and responded. 

 

**are you sure?**

 

_ yes im fucking sure _

 

Yuri paused for a moment, and looked back at Otabek. 

 

_ he looked at me _

 

_ eye contact and everything _

 

**erotic**

 

**i hope you used protection**

 

**seems like a nice boy but you never know if he has something until its too late**

 

_ youre disgusting _

 

Yuri went back to staring at Otabek. He felt oddly uncomfortable after a while. They were almost back in town and he still hadn't gotten out yet. Of course, he could be going to town too, but Yuri didn't know that for sure. When the time came for them to get off the bus, Mila stood up to go, but Yuri refused to stand until Otabek got off the bus. That was how the two of them became trapped on the Park Loop Road. Yuri had to know more about Otabek- His soul, to be specific. He was like no one Yuri had ever seen. It was madness. Yuri couldn't see his entire essence, and it was driving him crazy. Otabek was just a guy! There was nothing special about him, magic wise, and the shouldn't have had such an easy time drawing Yuri in! The sun had finished setting by the time they passed the Village green for the second time. 

“Yuri, we’re gonna be late,” Mila whispered to him. 

“Fuck the party,” He said. She rolled her eyes. “He’s important.” 

“Well, this party is important to me,” She said. 

“I need to know what he is,” Yuri whispered. 

“You have his phone number. Did you never think of asking him?” Mila asked. When they got to the Village Green bus stop, she got up and left. Yuri waited for a second before following her. As much as he wanted to know what Otabek was, he wanted Mila to feel safe at a party. They went to her house, and Yuri Melted a bunch of his clothes there until he decided on a pair of ripped black shorts that let a little bit of ass peek out and a blue tank top with arm holes that went down to his waist. It was made out of one of his old shirts. Mila was talked into wearing a black, sleeveless crop top. She put on a pair of shorts that Yuri was fairly sure she slept in and heels that brought her up to his height. Yuri wanted to wear heels as well, but decided against it. 

Yuri let Mila do his hair. She braided it into a large swoosh that clung to the back of his head. He then used his magical abilities to put her hair into a topknot that showed off her undercut. When she had enough makeup on to look properly sexy, they left her house. The point at which Yuri stopped remembering things that night was blurry, but when he woke up, it was the middle of the day and he was naked. He had a guy on his right and a girl on his left, who were also passed out. They were both so fucking hot, Yuri realized. Or rather, his dick realized.

He got off the bed, and started looking for his clothes. He found his things balled up next to a fan, and he redressed. His ass hurt, he learned. It was also past eleven. He decided to skip school for the rest of  the day. He left the house, not bothering to look for Mila, and went to the Village Green. He played on his phone in the gazebo for a while before he became bored. He probably should have been studying, but instead he kept picking up on little energy disturbances in the Veil. Yuri became distracted by them to the point of entering the Veil himself to look for their sources. There was someone causing a lot of trouble on a nearby island. It was the one with a sandbar that you could use to walk to the island during low tide. Yuri got up, following the signal. How could somebody be so stupid, he wondered. Everybody went to that island to hike; there were times in the summer when there was literally a constant stream of people entering the trails. Yuri found himself running, and then waiting a couple hours for the sandbar to become walkable. He ran across, displacing the water around his feet so it didn't get in his shoes.

When he got to the island, he started down the trail. He followed the disturbances to their source. They were easier to notice as he got closer, and he could almost physically feel them when the trail went cold. There were no more disturbances. Yuri was simply in the woods. He stood there, trying to find something, anything, that would tell him where the source had gone. But there was nothing. He didn't even realize that he was blocking the path until someone poked him between the shoulderblades and asked to walk past. 

Yuri walked back to Bar Harbor now, discouraged and confused. It must have been some sort of crazy anomaly. Disturbances that large didn't just disappear without a trace. There was always some sort of aftereffect, something that faded over time, but now there was just…nothing. Either he was dealing with the most powerful Magus he had ever met, or something was wrong with the Veil. Those were the only logical explanations he thought, and- 

A man bumped into Yuri, catching him on the shoulder. 

“Hey jackass, watch where you’re going!” Yuri shouted. His words died on his tongue when he realized who he was speaking to. Motherfucking Otabek. If Yuri didn't know any better, he would say that Otabek was the one who had been messing with magic. His soul was unique, he kept appearing wherever Yuri was out of nowhere, and whenever he did, disturbances in the Veil followed him wherever he went. Yuri almost wanted to punch him. 

“I’m sorry,” Otabek said. He turned around. Yuri was extremely dissatisfied that ‘I’m sorry’ had been all he had said. 

“Hey,” Yuri said. Otabek turned around. “You can only walk across the sandbar during low tide, so…make sure you’re back before it ends.” 

“Oh? Is something waiting in town?” Otabek asked humorously. 

“Is there?” Yuri asked. Otabek shrugged. 

“Thanks for telling me about the sandbar, Yuri,” He said, and then continued walking towards the smaller island. Yuri’s pride stung, and he hadn't the slightest idea why. It was so stupid that a stranger could do that to him. He hated it with everything he had. 

After the end of the school year, Yuri’s lessons in the art of magic replaced his classes at school. He had free time after that, a lot of which was spent at work. He hated the sudden influx of tourists that hit along with mid-June, although there was something else he hated even more. Otabek started coming to the restaurant. At first, it wasn't very often, but then he wound up eating there every night. Sometimes he would be sitting quietly at the bar for hours. It was unnerving, but Mila kept talking to him and she reported nothing but kindness and politeness. The first time Yuri seriously spoke with Otabek, though, was when he was working alone at the bar during the graveyard shift. It was around three in the morning, and Yuri was slumped over the bar, staring at the doorway. Otabek was sitting at the corner, with an empty plate and a half-full glass of beer next to him. 

“What are you still doing here?” Yuri asked. Otabek jumped, which he took as a victory. He wasn't sure what was even being competed over, but he was going to fucking win. 

“Keeping you company,” Otabek said, as though he was saying the sky was blue. 

“I have them,” Yuri said, gesturing to the various wait staff members collapsed over tables throughout the restaurant. Otabek turned around, and then back. 

“They’re not doing well.” Yuri wanted to say  _ They never do well _ , but he kept his response on the tip of his tongue until Otabek spoke next. 

“Thank you for warning me about the island,” He said. Yuri scoffed. 

“Everyone knows about that. You’re dumb ‘cause you’re not from here.” 

“You don't seem the type to give out free advice.” Yuri stopped. He hadn't thought of a response ready for that. He stood up straight, and stretched his back. He hopped up to sit on the bar. 

“Are you a stalker?” He asked. Otabek blinked slowly. It gave him a small bit of satisfaction. 

“I wouldn't have given you my phone number if I was a stalker.” 

“You keep…” Yuri gestured around in the air for a moment. “Showing up…wherever I am.” 

“Are you sure its not self absorption?” Otabek asked. Yuri almost fell off the bar. Of course it wasn't! There was something wrong with him, and if they were alone, Yuri might have asked him, but there were some waiters and waitresses still here! Yuri couldn't say anything about magic or the Veil without exposing Mages again and causing Hunters to swarm Mount Desert Island. 

“It’s not,” He said. He sounded confident. Good. 

“Okay,” Otabek said. He took a sip of his beer. 

“You’re weird,” Yuri decided, crossing his arms. Otabek’s left eyebrow shifted. 

“That’s no way to talk to a customer.” 

“You finished your food, like, six hours ago.” Otabek lifted his mostly-full glass of beer. Yuri scoffed, even though he would have done the exact same thing. “Shut up.” 

Otabek left the restaurant just after the sun rose. He had long since finished his beer when he stood up. He handed Yuri fifty dollars. Yuri clutched the money to his chest like he had been handed a newborn, staring down at the ten dollar bills. 

“What-” 

“Keep the change,” He said. He cracked his knuckles and shoved his hands into his pockets. 

“What the fuck, Otabek.” 

“Tonight was fun,” Otabek said, and left. Yuri stared after him in shock. Who the hell was this guy, and what was he doing in Bar Harbor? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey fam, thanks for reading this chapter. if you liked it, please leave a comment or kudos. also, yay! yuri and otabek had their first conversation! too bad yuri is still angery and unsociable. 
> 
> tumblr: paraduxkys.tumblr.com


	5. four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for blood, violence, attempted kidnapping, attempted murder, actual murder, and torture. Not everything here is super explicit, these things do appear in the chapter so...yeah 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter (For the plot, not for all of that ^^^^).

By the time the month was over, Yuri was used Otabek’s presence at Blaze. He had stopped being annoyed by it around the same point they had started talking to each other in a more friendly way. He liked that he finally had something to do on those nights, but he was irritated that he didn't know very much about Otabek. That anger came about shortly after the revelation that he did most of the talking between the two of them. Now that it was the middle of summer, tourists filled the town. They had started to stay out later and crowd the restaurant further into the night. Otabek didn't seem to mind when talking to Yuri was interrupted by work. Yuri was starting to befriend him, even when it was hard to talk when he constantly had to deliver food or take an order or give a table a check. 

Yuri had already been working more than Mila. Both her parents had jobs and made enough money to support her. But Yuri lived with an unemployed alcoholic. He may have hated the season, but summer was when he made the most money, from tips and working more shifts than some of the chefs. He went home exhausted every morning. It had become a habit for him to talk to Mila in his downtime. When she wasn't there, he talked to Otabek instead. His favorite time of the night had become the time immediately post dinner-rush, when everyone was gone and nobody gave a fuck what he did. Then, he could sit around with Mila, or sometimes Otabek. 

Their relationship crossed the point of no return at the very beginning of a Friday in the very end of June. Yuri had sat down on the other side of a table from Otabek. 

“Tell me about yourself,” He demanded.

“Bit late for that,” Otabek said. Yuri was fairly certain it was meant to be humorous, but he erred to the side of caution. 

“You know so much about me, but I don't know jack shit about you other than you’re from Kazakhstan,” Yuri said. Otabek nodded. 

“What do you want to know?” Yuri shrugged. 

“I don't fucking know. What was the name of your high school?” Otabek’s cheeks tinged pink. 

“I dropped out after fifth grade.” 

“Well shit, man, you’ve just found yourself something to talk about,” Yuri said. He leaned his head on his left arm. “Go on.” Otabek shook his head. 

“I’d, uh, I’d rather not talk about it. Maybe some other time.” He gave Yuri an unreadable look. Yuri tingled like he was in the Veil at the prospect of ‘some other time’.

“You have to now. Whatever it actually is will be disappointing,” Yuri said. He wondered if Otabek would notice if he stole one of his french fry. He wasn't even guarding them, and everyone knew that when you were eating with your friends, you couldn't leave food they liked unguarded. Yuri lost his train of thought for a moment. He had just called Otabek his friend. But they weren't friends. The only reason he was talking to Otabek was because he was bored. His only friend was Mila. It had always been that way and it always would. Nobody liked him except for her, and Yuri couldn't remember why at this point. He just knew that he met her on the first day of second grade and they had become friends because they could speak Russian. And Otabek didn't speak Russian…Right? 

“You’d probably like the story,” Otabek mused, “Its kind of like an action movie.”

“I lied, you’re telling me right now or I won't bring you any more food.” Otabek laughed without opening his mouth. He didn't smile, but his eyes lifted a little bit. 

“How about a general overview?” Yuri rolled his eyes. 

“Make sure you focus on the action movie parts.” 

“I’ll do the opposite of that,” Otabek said. Yuri groaned loudly, and leaned his head back over the top of his chair. 

“If you told me about your action movie past, it would be the most interesting thing to have happened on this fucking island since the dawn of time!” 

“Okay, calm down,” He said softly, “If you’re free in the next few days, I’ll tell you why I dropped out.”

“Sunday,” Yuri blurted out. He paused for a second. Yeah, he could totally be alone with Otabek. It wouldn't be weird, it would be cool. “I don't start work until the dinner rush on Sundays.” Otabek raised his eyebrows. 

“How long have you been here today?” Yuri shrugged. 

“Since, like, two?” 

“Yuri!” Otabek cried, looking scandalized, “You need to take a break!” Yuri shrugged again. 

“Taking one right now.” 

“If you don't mind my asking, why are you working so much?” Yuri was quiet. Should he tell Otabek? Common sense was screaming at him not to. It was never a good idea to tell people too much about himself. Mila was perhaps the only exception. She thought no less of him. Everyone else thought he was trash. Since he had been around them since forever, they knew that he was the only provider for his family. They knew where he worked and when he worked, and Yuri had refused to wait on anybody he recognized since he started high school.

“I need the money,” Yuri said, and left it that. “What’s your job?” He asked. Otabek shrugged. 

“I’ll tell you later.” 

“Why are you being so secretive?” Yuri demanded. He stomped the floor loudly for emphasis. Otabek’s eyes widened slightly. 

“Yuri, calm down.” 

“I want to talk to you, fucker, and you’re not making it easy,” He shouted. He stomped the floor again. At that point, Lilia told him to stop being so impolite. “I’m…I mean, my bad,” Yuri said. He paused for a moment. “So. How’d you get to America?” Otabek laughed without opening his mouth again. 

“Someone told my dad once that New York is the best place to go to make money. When I was five, we came over and my dad learned that being an immigrant social worker in New York with no money won't get you anywhere. He tried playwriting. He almost got a play published, but that was as far as he could get before fifth grade.” 

“Why are you wasting your time here when your parents are in New York?” Yuri asked. Otabek sighed, somewhat loudly. 

“I promise, I will tell you. Just not here or tonight.” 

“Sunday. Meet me at the field across the street at noon,” Yuri said, and he couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. He needed Mila right now, or he was going to-

“How did you get to America?” Otabek asked, “If you don't mind sharing.” Yuri shook his head. 

“No, it’s cool. I don't remember that well, actually. I was really young. My grandpa’s job wanted him to work at an American branch. We lived in Philly for a couple years before we came up here. That’s it.” That was what Yuri told everyone who cared to ask about how he got to America. He couldn’t say it was because his grandpa had noticed that the Veil was fucked up in America and didn't want to leave his grandkids in alone in Moscow for a long time. That was too weird and complicated for most people, and if he told anyone the truth, he would be revealing magic to the world. And nobody wanted to do that, for fear of death. 

“We are the American dream,” Otabek said. He picked up a french fry and stared at it as though it meant something deeply profound to him. Then he ate it. 

“Fuck yeah.” Yuri meant it as a joke. As it turned out, Otabek had meant what he said with the utmost sincerity. When Yuri’s shift ended, Otabek left with him. He was such a strange person to Yuri, starting with the fact that he cared enough to keep Yuri company until his shift was over. Not even Mila would stay that late if she didn't have to. But Mila had a life, and Otabek was on vacation.

 

* * *

 

On the fourth of July, there was a fireworks display over the ocean. Yuri was leaning over a railing on his elbows with Mila, Otabek, and Otabek’s sister. Yuri was incapable of paying attention to anything until the show was over and Otabek’s sister had disappeared into the crowd. She had been replaced by a college aged man. He wore a backwards baseball cap and had the beginnings of a beard growing in. He reminded Yuri of Jesse, which made a shiver run down his spine, but Jesse was closer to thirty than twenty by now. Yuri didn't notice how the man turned and looked at him like he was something a lot less than a human halfway through the show. However, Otabek did. He glared at the man, and took a step closer to Yuri. When the show was over, Yuri was leaning on his shoulder, but only a little bit.

After Mila started talking to someone she knew from school, and Yuri decided to walk Otabek back to the hotel. Yuri felt stupid for doing it at all. Otabek had taken self defense classes since he was eight. There was no reason for him to be doing what he was. 

“Remember the plans for Sunday,” Yuri said. Otabek nodded. 

“Thanks,” He said, “For walking me home.” Yuri didn't say anything, although he felt like he was supposed to. There was a gap, and he didn't know if it was awkward or not. He was just staring into the shadowy areas that covered Otabek’s eyes. 

“See ya,” Yuri said. Otabek smiled, just a tiny bit. He lifted his right hand, and put it out in front of him like they were meeting for the first time. Yuri shook his hand. 

“Goodnight,” Otabek said. He left Yuri’s hand feeling cold when he pulled away. Yuri would swear that he could feel his heartbeat in his fingertips the entire time he spent walking to Mila’s house. He snuck into her basement and Melted home. He dreamed about the feeling in his fingertips and of what he had planned for Sunday.

 

* * *

 

When Sunday arrived, Yuri was left waiting until twelve seventeen, when Otabek came sprinting up Mount Desert Street. When he got to the field, he stopped, and leaned back slightly with his hands clasped on the top of his head. 

“Hi, Yuri,” He panted. Yuri stared at his face for a moment. He was shiny with sweat, and his eyes looked desperate. He was pulling his hair away from his face but there were still a couple pieces that hung down over his forehead. Yuri would lick that sweat- And what the fuck was wrong with him?! Otabek was his friend. That was fucking creepy. Yuri looked down for a moment and swallowed. 

“Why’re you running?” He asked. He looked back up again. 

“It…I’ll tell you with the rest of the stuff.” He sat down next to Yuri. 

“Get up,” He said, “We’re not staying here, we’re going to Jordan Pond.” They crossed the Green to the bus stop. Yuri noticed that Otabek was a little more anxious than usual, always looking over his shoulder. He stood with his arms crossed. Each hand was hugging his ribs under the leather jacket he wore. That was another thing that puzzled Yuri. How the hell did Otabek wear that jacket when it was so hot outside? Yuri was wearing shorts and sandals, and he was burning up! 

When the bus came, Otabek looked relieved. He sat in the very back row, where there were no windows. Yuri followed him, and sat on his left. 

“Are you okay?” He asked. Otabek nodded. 

“I’m fine.” Yuri squinted at him. 

“You’re a fucking liar.” 

“And?” 

“You’re not fine,” Yuri said. He crossed his arms. He looked up and down Otabek’s body, trying to find something that was wrong. Otabek zipped up his jacket. “And you’re going to get heat stroke.” Otabek shrugged. 

“I lived in Arizona for a couple months last summer. This is nothing.” They couldn't get to the pond fast enough. When they arrived at Jordan Pond, Yuri lead Otabek along the trail that ran around the pond. When it had been a couple minutes since they had seen anyone else, the two of them climbed up some of the rocks that were on the side of the path until he reached a point they couldn't see the water anymore. They sat against tree trunks, facing each other.

“Please don't get freaked out,” Otabek asked. 

“Freaked out about what?” Yuri asked. Otabek stared at the ground, hands clasped. He unzipped his jacket and took it off. He set it down on a smooth, flat boulder that was a little ways away from where they were sitting. The inside of the jacket was revealed to Yuri. It was full of knives. He stared at them in shock, a million thoughts rushing through his head. His eyes snapped back to Otabek. He pulled the smallest gun- and really, the only gun- Yuri had ever seen away from his belt. 

“What the fuck?!” Yuri shouted, springing to his feet. Otabek raised both hands, the gun in his right. He removed the clip and set both items down on top of his jacket. He stared at Otabek’s blank face, as if he could get an explanation without being spoken to. 

“That’s one of my guns,” Otabek said. He sat down, and took off his boots. He poured two knives from each of them, and then reached into the pockets of his pants. Out of each came two extra clips of ammo. Yuri took a step away. 

“What the hell do you mean, _one_ of your guns?” He asked, clinging to the tree. Otabek looked up after setting the weapons on the boulder with his jacket. 

“Yuri, please don't be afraid. I said I would tell you everything. That, right there,” He pointed at the pile of weapons. “Is a big part of everything.” 

“Are you going to kill me?” Yuri asked. Otabek looked surprised. It gave Yuri a small bit of satisfaction, but it was overtaken by a fear that was making his blood hammer against the inside of his skull. He refused to be intrigued by Otabek, even if he was cool and hot and mysterious, and apparently carried around several ways to kill people. 

“What? No, I’m not going to kill you. I need you to be calm, okay Yuri?” Yuri nodded. He still didn't sit back down. Otabek sighed. “I’m not going to hurt you. I don't have anything else on me.” Yuri raised an eyebrow. He knew that what he was about to say was stupid for so many reasons, but that had never stopped him before. 

“Under your shirt,” He said. Otabek made a face. 

“You’re not going to like it,” He said, and pulled off his shirt. Yuri gasped. His torso was covered in scars and bandages, and there was one that looked like it was more fresh than the rest. However, there were no more knives clinging to his ribs- Which Yuri thought were way too prominent.  

“Jesus Christ, are you okay?” Yuri asked. Otabek nodded. “Oh, fucking hell! You’re not okay at all! What the fuck happened to you?!” He pulled his shirt back on, hugging his arms to his chest. 

“That’s what we came here to talk about,” Otabek said, “Please sit down.” Yuri looked wary, but sat down. His muscles were tense, and he was prepared to slide down the cliff face at any moment. The need to hear what had happened almost overtook the fear that he was about to be killed. 

“I’m going to start from the beginning, okay?” Otabek said, “It’s a long story.”

 

* * *

 

 

Otabek held Aliya’s head to his chest. His vision was blurry with tears. He whispered quiet reassurances to her, even though he was crying almost as loud as she was. He tightened his grip on the paring knife. He focussed his eyes on the doorway, trying to ignore the awful screaming in the next room. He assured her that they would be okay as an idea popped into his head. He slowly moved out of the kitchen, still holding her to his chest. He could almost see the side door, just behind the wall on the other side of the stove. He could be out the door before they ever saw him. 

He closed his eyes when they reached the stove. He took a deep breath. He kissed Aliya on the top of her head, and knelt down. 

“Liya, I’m going to give you a piggyback ride now, okay?” She nodded, her face puffy with tears. She climbed onto his back, and he stood up. Otabek’s heart threatened to break out of his ribcage as he stepped out of the kitchen. He could no longer see out of the corners of his eyes, but he didn't want to anymore. At the same time, it was all he could do to not look up. 

Aliya’s arms tightened around his shoulders. She let out a wail, and the screaming of their parents subsided. He looked up from the door, only to see the Hunters staring straight back at him. He choked on air when he saw the body of his mother and father behind them- They were naked and covered in blood. There were gashes all over his mother’s body that soaked her black hair red and made her skin shine in the low light of a lamp. She was far too still, and far too silent.  _ Get up, Anam, _ he shouted internally. She shouldn't have been down like that, she needed to get back up! He let out a small, pitiful cry when one of the Hunters stepped on his mother’s neck. She gurgled softly, and blood poured from her lips and a gash across her throat. Otabek’s vision had gone blurry. 

His father was being held to the back wall. He, too, was covered in gashes and cuts. He was making the most awful noises in the world. 

“Find Alain,” He shouted hoarsely. Otabek tried to respond, but instead made another choked sob as one of the Hunters whipped around faster than Otabek could even anticipate and drove a knife into his father’s shoulder. He screamed, and Otabek ran to the door. One of the Hunters ran after him, and while he was unlocking it, threw him to the floor. Aliya screamed as she fell aside. Otabek scrambled back to his feet, but was pushed down by the man. The paring knife was flung from his hand, and he tried his hardest to reach it, but he couldn't do much with a knee in his spine.  _ I’m going to die, _ He realized. He began to sob even harder, soaking the carpet. The Hunter grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked. He let out a strangled croak as an arm was pressed to his throat. 

“Go!” He tried to shout at Aliya. The edges of his vision were going black, but he could see her darting forwards and grabbing the knife. She pointed it at the man who was on top of Otabek. 

“Let him go,” She tried to say. Her words were garbled and she was crying too hard to say anything with meaning. The man just laughed. Aliya took another step forward, trembling. He shouted to the other Hunters to finish the job, and Otabek was glad he couldn't see what was happening when his parents’ screams stopped abruptly. His eyes had closed by now, and he didn't know how much longer he could stay conscious. He tried to pull the arm away from his throat, but it was useless. The last thing he thought he would ever hear was the sound of Aliya screaming. But suddenly, the arm around his throat gave out and the body of the man fell down on top of him. He could feel something wet hitting the back of his neck. 

Otabek coughed a couple times before he wormed out from under the man. Aliya had fallen to her knees, staring at the sight in the living room. The Hunters had fallen to the ground, and it took a moment for Otabek to notice that their knives were now stuck in their hearts. He felt sick as he turned around to see the man that had been on top of him with the paring knife sticking out of the side of his neck. 

Aliya gasped and fell into his side. 

“I-I-I,” She struggled to say, “I’m s-so sorry, Beka,” She cried. He squeezed her to his chest. 

“It’s okay,” He gasped out, “It’s going to be okay.” 

“I made the knives move,” Aliya cried. She hugged him tighter, “Th-They’re gonna kill me now!” She sobbed. Otabek held her until the sun was up. They got changed out of their bloodstained clothes, and packed up their important things into their backpacks- Clothes, toothbrushes, water bottles, food, all of the money and credit cards they could find- and then went downstairs to say goodbye to their parents. Otabek pulled the paring knife out of the Hunter’s neck, and they left the house. They left the door open, and set out to find Alain Leroy. 

Alain Leroy was a friend their father had made while living in New York. They didn't meet him until one night, when they were out of food and water, and running low on money. They had been living in Central Park for a while now, and Otabek was holding Aliya while she slept. He held his knife tightly in his hand- There was hardly ever a time when he wasn't holding it as tightly as he could. Alain had approached them and taken them into his home. It was a beautiful penthouse apartment, where they lived until some Hunters caught up to them on the street. They ran with what they had until they were sure they had lost the Hunters. They decided to leave the city, and spent ages hitchhiking away from New York. When summer hit, and people started riding around on motorcycles, Otabek did the stupidest thing in his life. 

There had been a man leaning against an idling motorcycle, and he and Aliya had decided that they wanted it. So he ran up to the motorcycle. He leapt over it, kicking the man in the back. He climbed up onto the bike, and kicked the man again when he tried to get back up. This time, the man didn't get up. By now, there were other people looking at him and starting to come over. He pulled his hood up so that it covered his face. He fiddled around with the buttons until he could make it go. He struggled to steer and reach the pedals, but by the time Aliya had jumped on and they had made it to the highway, he had more or less figured out the basics. 

Eventually, they wound up with a police car behind them. Aliya had done something that Otabek found incredibly cool- She had lifted the paint off of the road. That had nearly caused a pileup, but they escaped. They had been on the run ever since, accumulating crimes that would put them away for life and running from Hunters. Aliya had decided early on that she would avenge her parents. When she turned sixteen, she had decided to start hunting Hunters, and they had become aware of an organization that did exactly that shortly after. They had been trying to find out how to join when they were ambushed in Vermont. From there, they had started running and didn't stop until they reached Bar Harbor. 

But of course, Otabek never mentioned magic once in his story. His parents were killed by a rival gang, and instead of moving the paint from the highway, they had simply found a way to hide. Aliya had wanted to be the one to talk to Yuri about magic, so he was leaving that for her.

 

* * *

Yuri could hardly believe what he had just been told. He didn't know if he should offer to hug Otabek or run away as fast as he could. He didn't know what to say and he felt stupid, staring at him with an open mouth. 

“My parents are dead, too.” He wanted to hit himself for saying something like that. It was insensitive and stupid. 

“It blows, doesn't it?” Otabek asked. Yuri nodded. “I hope you don't think any less of me now,” Otabek said. He was looking everywhere but at Yuri. “I’ve never told anybody all that before…I’ve always been afraid that they would hate me or turn me in.” 

“I won't turn you in,” Yuri said. He thought fleetingly that he probably should, but it was gone before he could remember it. He stood up and marched over to where Otabek was sitting. Yuri sat down and put an arm around his shoulders. “I’m your friend.” Otabek smiled at him with red eyes. 

“Really?” Yuri nodded. 

“I also don't hate you. In fact, that’s a way more action-y story than I was expecting but it would be fucked up to congratulate you, so…nyeh.” He paused. “You’re going to be okay.” 

“Thank you,” Otabek said. He finally looked at Yuri, and there was a moment that was filled with nothingness. Yuri simply stared into Otabek’s eyes, and he stared back. He felt like he was truly seeing Otabek for the first time. He was young and stupid and lived a dangerous life. He was going to be dead before he turned thirty and Yuri wanted nothing more than to leave the island with him. He would have to reveal himself as a Magus, but Otabek would understand. He knew what it felt like when you lost everything because of who you were. There was no way he would give Yuri up to Hunters…Right?

Otabek’s stomach cried out, interrupting whatever had been happening between the two of them. His face turned red. 

“I guess I’m hungrier than I thought,” He said. They stood up. 

“You’re gonna love the restaurant. If we can get a table in this year,” Yuri said. Otabek laughed without opening his mouth again, and Yuri found himself smiling ear to ear as he watched Otabek put his jacket back on and strap his gun back into his belt. 

“What if you get caught?” Yuri asked. Otabek shrugged. 

“I don't know. Aliya’s always-” He cut himself off. “I know how to hide my stuff.” Yuri narrowed his eyes, but didn't press on. They struggled back down the side of the cliff, and continued to walk and talk to each other until they made it to the restaurant. Otabek talked about how he had wanted to be a dancer when he was a kid, but now he made his money by hustling pool and DJing. Yuri thought that it was hilarious that when Otabek had explained it, he said ‘disc jockey’ instead of ‘DJ’. Otabek was the coolest person he had ever met. 

The wait for a table was actually surprisingly short. When they got to their little table in the overcrowded room, Yuri instantly ordered a basket of popovers. Apparently, Otabek had never had one. It was an injustice. The look on his face when he bit into the steaming bun- Which Yuri had already taken the liberty of filling with jam and butter- was fantastic. 

“Oh my God,” He said softly. He blinked. “I’m going to need the rest of those.” Yuri smiled. 

“I’m getting half, obviously,” He said, and took half the remaining popovers onto the plates that had come with the basket. Otabek nodded. 

“It would be cruel to take all of them.” 

“So you’ve seen the error of your ways.” He nodded again, and then snorted with laughter. He took a sip of his blueberry soda, and took another minute to calm down again. 

“I’m sorry,” Otabek said. “My sister doesn't exactly have a sense of humor.” 

“How long have you guys been…you know?” Yuri asked. Otabek shrugged. 

“Seven years?” Yuri’s mouth fell into an O shape. 

“My God, Otabek!” He shouted. Otabek nodded. 

“It’s been a long time.” Yuri needed to get on the back of that motorcycle, like, now. He needed go on adventures every day, he needed to feel like he was doing something that mattered, he needed to be with Otabek. He didn't care what Aliya thought, he was stealing her spot. They could really benefit from adventuring with someone like him. He could protect them with magic- And then Yuri felt numb. His grip on his popover tightened. He had remembered that Aliya was a Magus. His brain moved a million miles a second- Otabek’s parents were killed by Hunters. They had been chased here by Hunters, their entire lives were running from Hunters. Yuri suddenly felt like he had one foot on the island and one foot on the mainland. He would definitely leave with Otabek, no questions asked- But could he condemn himself to a life of running from Hunters? 

“Are you okay?” Otabek asked. Yuri shook his head. He wouldn't bring it up for now. He would wait until they were back in town. 

“I’m just tired,” He said, “The walk around the lake, you know?” Otabek nodded. 

“Quite lengthy.” They went back to talking about other things. Yuri’s heart leapt every time he made Otabek laugh or smile. His heart was fairly high throughout their meal. They finished their food but stayed at the restaurant to talk. Yuri demanded that they take a selfie. He wouldn't notice what was so frightening about it until later, though. The sun was about to start setting when they got back to the Village Green. Yuri had to go to work soon, and he found himself ignoring it when his phone rang in favor of talking to Otabek. Otabek hugged him when they said goodbye. Yuri would never admit it, but he was afraid of getting cut by one of Otabek’s knives.

“I’m excited for next time,” Otabek said, grinning slightly. Yuri walked into Blaze with a smile that wouldn't leave his face no matter how hard he tried. He changed into his uniform, still grinning, and leaned against the wall of the back room for a minute before Mila walked in. She stopped dead upon seeing him. 

“Woah, what’s up with you?” Yuri still failed to stop grinning like a fool. 

“I was out with Otabek,” He said. Mila smirked. 

“Did you guys finally go on a date?” She asked. Yuri’s smile fell. 

“What? Of course not! We- We just- Oh my God, was it a date?” Yuri tried to remember everything he knew about dating. He and Jesse usually just hung out on their dates, sometimes going out to eat or seeing a movie. It couldn't have been a date, though, because Jesse always gave him a really good hug and kiss at the end, and Otabek hadn't even expressed the slightest interest in kissing him. A-And so what if Yuri thought he was cool? Yuri thought people were cool all the time! Sure, they happened to be movie characters, but Otabek was basically the star of an action movie anyway! 

Mila sidled up to him with her arms crossed. 

“Didja kiss?” 

“W-What? Of course not! He’s my friend, Baba!” Yuri stated. 

“This is exciting, Yura!” She shrieked, “You’re finally moving on from King Douchelord!” 

“I’m not even sure it was a date, though,” Yuri said. His face felt like it was burning up from the inside out. 

“So what exactly did you do?” Mila asked. 

“I took him to Jordan Pond. We hiked. He told me about his childhood, and we ate lunch at the restaurant. He had popovers for the first time. We took a selfie on that balcony thing where you can see the pond, and then we took the bus back. We hung out at the Village Green, and then I came here.” Yuri paused, debating whether he should keep the hug to himself or not. “He hugged me at the end. He…He said he was excited for next time.” 

“Bitch, its a date!” Mila shouted. 

“You don't know that!” Yuri screamed back. 

“He told you about his childhood, it was a fucking date!” Mila yelled. Right about now, Yuri felt like screaming wordlessly, but it would definitely cause the people upstairs to freak out. He could barely remember the dinner rush that night, except for one thing: Otabek never showed up. When he left with Mila that night, she felt the need to fucking comfort him. Yuri was fine! And if he was sad, it certainly wasn't because of a stupid boy! 

He stayed at her house that night, at least for a while. He texted Otabek, under her guidance. After he Melted home that night, he was too excited to sleep. He had a date on Tuesday…Or, at least, he was hanging out with Otabek again on Tuesday. He couldn't tell if it was a date or not. There was a sick feeling in his stomach along with the excitement. What if bringing Mila into everything caused him to look too deep into what was simple? Otabek had probably only hugged him because he was thankful Yuri hadn't freaked out.

He hugged Potya to his chest. 

“What am I supposed to do, baby?” He asked. But Potya was a cat, and cats are not known for their ability to give romantic advice. 

When Tuesday came, Yuri Melted to Mila’s basement. She gave him a pep talk, if it could be called that, and when he left her house, he was thinking more about sex than their actual maybe-date. He didn't think about much as he walked to the Grand Hotel, at least not until he felt someone’s arm wrap around his shoulder. A fist came around to sit in front of his throat, with something sharp poking his throat. Before he could open his mouth, or turn around to see who was grabbing him, a man’s voice whispered in his ear. 

“Stay quiet and you stay alive.” Yuri lost control of his voice, and a loud whimper spilled from his lips. He wanted to be embarrassed that he was shaking so much. The man gripped his waist with his other hand, pinning his right arm in front of him. The man walked him out of the street and into an alleyway. It was wide, with the backs of houses on either side. It was also the type of alleyway Yuri could be killed in and nobody would notice. He closed his eyes, as if it would stop him from crying. He really didn't want to cry. He would look so weak if he did. 

The man shoved him up against a garage door, still holding the sharp object- A knife- to his throat. He was pressing down on it just hard enough for it to hurt, but not hard enough for it to break Yuri’s skin. He whined, and opened his eyes. He couldn't help but notice that the man looked familiar. Yuri didn't have much time to think about that, though, as he was still struggling to breathe. 

“You’re Yuri Plisetsky,” The man said, “Seventeen. Most powerful Magus on the island.” Yuri’s heart almost stopped. This couldn't be happening to him. There was no way, none! Oh, fuck, he was going to die tonight! He couldn't die, not before he got the chance to figure out how he felt about Otabek! Not before he got to leave Mount Desert Island forever, not before he found Victor and not fucking before he got the chance to use his abilities in a way that meant something. 

“You’re an asshole,” Yuri said. The man put a little more pressure on the knife. Yuri’s skin broke, and he felt hot tears start to leak from his eyes. 

“You’re so pretty,” The Hunter said. He took some of Yuri’s hair between his fingers. Yuri would have jerked his head away if he could do it without the the knife hitting something important. “It’s such a shame you’ll go to waste.” He said. Yuri lifted his chin, trying to move the knife out of his skin. He gritted his teeth against the pain, letting out another embarrassingly loud whine. 

Yuri tried to think. How to escape. Use magic. The knife wasn't made of iron- Iron was the one thing that stopped Mages from using their powers. He could still feel the Veil pulling at him gently. He tuned out the creepy things the Hunter was saying and forced himself into the Veil.  _ Okay. _ He fixed his energy on the knife, and pushed it away from his neck. He sent both the Hunter and the knife flying. When the man was down, Yuri made the knife fly up into the air before he sent it hurtling towards the bottom of the ocean. 

He started to run, but the man was up again. He was caught around the waist and brought to the ground. He banged his chin off the cement, and was fairly certain he started bleeding. He was rolled onto his back, and the Hunter wrapped both hands around Yuri’s throat. He croaked in pain when the Hunter tightened his grip, and all his efforts went towards not blacking out. Yuri tried to force the Hunter off of him, but there was nothing he could do. He couldn't think straight, certainly not well enough to use magic. Yuri brought his hands up and tried to pull the Hunter’s hands off of his throat. The Hunter’s hands were slippery with blood, and Yuri could barely feel his own fingers anymore. Oh God, he was going to die! 

He tried to roll around, but the Hunter didn't move his hands off of Yuri’s neck. The last thing he could think of to do was thrusting his hips up. It happened that that was exactly what he needed to do. The Hunter was thrown off of him, and Yuri started running again. The Hunter still chased him, catching his arm and throwing him against a wall. He punched Yuri’s cheek before he could even react. Yuri started crying even more, unable to tell if he was bleeding or not from how tear strewn his face was. Yuri took another blow, this time to the temple. Blackness came up around the edges of his vision and his knees gave out. He took a kick to the ribs, and coughed. He was certain that blood had just come out of his mouth. 

In a last ditch effort to stop an attack, Yuri put his hands up to stop the next kick. He couldn't tell, but he thought that his fingers were broken. He focused on the Hunter’s clothes. He took another kick and coughed up even more blood before he managed to pick up the Hunter’s shoes and fling the man to the other end of the alley. Yuri struggled to his feet, and cast his mind out to Otabek. He was in his room at the hotel. Leaning against the wall, Yuri saw everything that made up Otabek’s soul. He saw the room he was standing in, he saw Aliya sitting in a chair, laughing at a television screen- And then he was there. 

He fell against Otabek, grasping at his arms and trying so hard to speak but failing. Otabek’s arms were instantly around him. Yuri smiled at that- Otabek was hugging him. He was picked up, with two hands sending warmth into his body from the space in between his shoulders and his right knee. Yuri was laid down on a bed, and suddenly the warmth left him. He tried to focus on the faces he saw in front of him. Otabek- He looked horrified. His eyes were red and his voice shook when he instructed his sister to go get the bandages. 

“What happened?” He asked, holding one of Yuri’s hands between both of his. 

“A Hunter,” Yuri tried to say. It sounded like he was dying- He was dying. His throat was still bleeding, and he was feeling very lightheaded. He croaked, and Aliya was suddenly back in the room. She pulled his head up, and wrapped bandages around his throat until she ran out. 

“Beka, take him to the hospital!” She shouted. 

“But-”

“Fucking do it!” She pressed one of her hands to Yuri’s cheek and the other to Otabek’s shoulder. They appeared in a bathroom in the Bar Harbor Hospital. Otabek grabbed Yuri’s hand to drag him along, but the boy had fallen. His eyes were closed. Otabek picked him up once again, feeling along his neck to see if his heart was still beating. He was relieved when he found the shallow pulse, and pressed his forehead to Yuri’s. 

“Hurry!” Aliya shouted, and they ran out of the bathroom to get Yuri some help. He was taken to the ER while Otabek was questioned about what had happened. 

“I don't know,” He murmured, trying to wipe the tears away from his face. He was terrified that Yuri was going to die. He didn't even care about Aliya’s plan anymore. He wanted to hear Yuri cackle at jokes that weren't funny, and hug him again like he had on Sunday. “I- I wasn't there. He came to my hotel room, and I brought him here.” Otabek gave the hospital Yuri’s full name. He only knew Yuri’s cell phone number, and the only emergency contact he could think of was Mila. He called her, and she was at the hospital so fast it was like she had Melted there. Shame she wasn't a Magus, Otabek thought. 

Mila wasn't allowed to see Yuri either- Family only. She insisted that she was basically his sister, and he would rather see her than anyone else. But she did eventually have to call somebody. About five minutes later, an old man- Otabek assumed him to be Yuri’s grandfather- arrived at the hospital and was swept away to Yuri’s room. After that was over, Mila and Otabek were told to wait outside. Oddly enough, Aliya was the one who paced. She didn't say a word, while Mila, crying, told Otabek about all the stupid things she and Yuri had done throughout the years, and oh, God, he was going to die and she wasn't ready. 

But Yuri did live. He had to be in the hospital another day, and then he wasn't allowed to leave the house for a couple more. He was bored out of his mind, and spent most of his time on the Internet or texting Mila or Otabek. He cuddled with Potya more than he was used to. Even though it was impossible, he thought that she was helping him get better faster. 

When he was well enough to go outside without something covering the cut on his neck, Yuri finally got to go out with Otabek. They went to the Reel Pizza Cinerama, because it was the movie theater that was closest to the Grand Hotel. Otabek thought that it was too dangerous for Yuri walk all the way to his favorite theater. Yuri had laughed at that, and then pretended to choke. It was not a well received joke.

During the movie, they sat together on one of the couches and ate pizza. Yuri thought that his was too salty. Otabek told him that was what he got for ordering it with fish sauce. After the movie was over, Yuri insisted on walking Otabek back to the hotel. 

“I want you to teach me how to fight,” Yuri told him while they walked. 

“What?” 

“I almost fucking died because I didn't know how to fight. Yeah, I know how to fight with-” Yuri cut himself off, eyes wide. “Um, I mean-” 

“It’s okay, Yuri. I know. Y-You might not remember, but you Melted to my room after the fight,” Otabek whispered. Yuri looked relieved, but still somewhat embarrassed. 

“W-Well, I know how to fight with you know what, but not like a regular human. Teach me.” And before he knew it, Otabek was agreeing to teach Yuri the basics of self defense. Yuri gave him a brilliant smile, and threw his arms around Otabek’s shoulders. Otabek found himself hugging Yuri tightly. He didn't want to end the hug- It was a good one, after all- but Yuri shoved him away almost instantly. 

“I’m sorry,” He said, “M-My ribs are still kinda banged up.” 

“You don't need to apologize for stuff like that,” Otabek said. “I’ll see you tomorrow?” He thought he sounded a bit too hopeful, but it was nothing in comparison to the way Yuri’s face lit up. 

“Yeah,” Yuri said, “Meet me here at noon.” Otabek smiled to himself as he watched Yuri turn around and walk away. He was letting himself get so stupid over this boy…This funny, witty, dumbass who was intriguing and so, so handsome. Meanwhile, Yuri walked with an extra skip in his step on his way to Mila’s basement. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, thanks for reading! I know it got a bit intense. This is probably one of the most violent chapters of the fic, but that's not saying a lot because apparently I have no idea how to let the boys have their stories in peace. 
> 
> If you liked it, please leave a comment or a kudos. They really motivate me to write more, and with my busy schedule and knack for procrastination, it's a wonder I actually get anything done. 
> 
> If you want, you can also check me out on tumblr: paraduxkys.tumblr.com


	6. five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, y'all, I'm sorry if this chapter feels slow or boring in comparison with the last few. There isn't as much dramatic action, but I do know that some of you will be pleased by other parts. <3

Yuri sat down against the base of a tree. He rested his arms on his knees and leaned his head against the tree. He breathed hard, and stared up at Otabek. They had been hiking for around an hour. They had come so far into the woods that Yuri doubted even the hardcore hikers would hear them. It had been twenty seven minutes since they had left the path. They had been struggling up hills and through the bushes. Aliya had been walking in front of them, using a big ass sword to clear the path in front of them. And, if it came to it, she would use it to kill. Yuri would never fuck with Aliya, he decided.

Aliya had decided that a small clearing that was full of boulders would do for their purposes, so she removed her backpack and then her leather jacket. She tossed it on a rock, and Yuri cringed at the muffled sound of blades against stone. Otabek did the same, setting his bag down next to Yuri’s tree and then taking off his jacket.

“How are you not tired?” Yuri asked. Otabek shrugged.

“I’ve been through worse,” He said. Yuri tugged off his own backpack and pulled out his water bottle. He tilted his head back and drank. He had never tasted anything as good as the freshly melted ice. He was cut off when Otabek grabbed one of his wrists and pulled his hand down.

“Hey!” He shouted.

“Don't waste it all now,” Otabek said, “You’re going to need it later.”

“Get up,” Aliya said. Yuri turned his head to look at her. She was twisting her braid into a bun. The two of them stood up and went to join her in the middle of the clearing. “So, Yuri,” She said, “Do you know what to do if you get attacked?”

“Go into the Veil-”

“No, you run the fuck away,” Aliya said. She crossed her arms. “You shouldn't use magic unless it’s a last resort. You might be seen by a Hunter. When someone is attacking you, you first want to run. Then you yell, and if it comes to it, go for the knees or the throat. Use every advantage you have before fighting back.” Yuri nodded.

“What about when they do attack?”

“I just said, go for the knees or the throat,” Aliya said. “It takes seven pounds of pressure to break someone’s knee. Just make sure you’re not hitting from the back and you’ll be fine.” Aliya taught him how to punch after that- Thumb on the outside of his fingers, hitting with the first two knuckles- and a couple different kicks.

“Don't lead with your eyes,” She kept telling him. She had him attack her, and try to get her to the ground. Yuri ran straight in, and Aliya spun around him. She pinned his wrist to the nape of his neck and forced him to his knees. Yuri cried out in pain, and suddenly, Aliya’s weight left him. He moved his arm back to its normal position and turned around. Otabek had shoved his sister off, he deduced, from the glares they were giving each other and Aliya’s position on the ground.

“Are you okay?” Otabek asked. Yuri nodded, and stood up. Aliya decided to keep teaching him from the ground, while Otabek sat on a rock, watching. She kept giving him information that he knew he would never remember. You lose your peripheral vision when your heart rate gets too high. If someone has you up against the wall, hit the muscles around the base of their neck as hard as you can. When you’re pinned to the ground, thrust your hips to throw them. Elicit a pain response to make someone lose their grip on you. Always look at their eyes. It will tell you where they’re going to hit next. As soon as you panic, you’ve lost.

Aliya then decided that Yuri would fight her again. He didn't charge in right away this time. He tried to be tactical, edging closer with his right foot until he was right in front of her. He switched his feet and threw his right leg into a roundhouse kick aimed at her ribs, but Aliya caught him and twisted. Yuri let out a groan as he fell to the ground. Aliya sat on his back, and looped her arm under his throat. She pulled up, choking him. Yuri rolled to the right, throwing her off. Before he could get up again, she was on top of him, holding his throat with both hands.

“Stop!” Otabek shouted. Aliya froze, and loosened her grip. She didn't let go of him.

“What?” She asked.

“You’re going to hurt him!” Otabek shouted. He felt a warm inside. Aliya’s hands left Yuri’s throat and she climbed off of him. He sat up.

“We wouldn't want anyone to not be pretty anymore, would we?” She asked sarcastically.

“That’s not the point,” He said. He hopped off of his rock and sat down next to Yuri. “Are you okay?” Yuri nodded.

“I’m great.” Otabek smiled, just a little. He touched the back of Yuri’s hand. Yuri’s eyes snapped down to look at Otabek’s fingers. They were so warm.

“Good,” Otabek said. Yuri looked up at him.

“Can we get back to it now?” Aliya shouted. Yuri looked back at her and nodded. Otabek went back to sitting on his rock. She grinned, and crawled back over to Yuri. She resumed choking him.

“What do you do?!” She shouted. Yuri threw a knee up into her crotch. She groaned, and he slid both arms between hers and spread them violently. She fell down, and he thrusted his hips so that she fell over his head. He spun around and stood up. He held his hands out in front of his chest and waited for Aliya to attack. She kept her black eyes fixed on his, and punched at his stomach. He lowered his hands to bock, and she sent another fist into his nose. Yuri cried out, and his hands shot to his nose. He pulled his hands away, and found that he was bleeding. Aliya smirked, and pulled back one of her fists. Yuri took a step in before she could strike, and tried to send a fist into her stomach. However, she blocked with her left arm and grabbed the back of his neck. She yanked him away from her, and when he was reeling, she sent another blow to his nose. Yuri shouted wordlessly, and brought his hands up to see if he was bleeding. His nose felt like it was throbbing, and suddenly he was on his back with Aliya straddling his chest and her hands around his throat.

“Liya!” Otabek shouted. She didn't listen. Yuri flailed his hands around, trying to hit her. He landed a few strikes to her thighs, which made her loosen her grasp slightly. Yuri wriggled around, but she stayed planted firmly. He would admit, he slid into the Veil a tiny bit when he delivered a swift blow to her stomach. Aliya gasped, and Yuri slid both of his arms between hers. He pushed outwards, and she fell forwards a little bit. Before she could hit the ground, Yuri thrusted his hips up and slightly to the left. She flew off of him, and Yuri stood back up again. He gasped raggedly, and stared down at Aliya. She was panting on her back.

“Yuri, are you okay?” Otabek asked, taking Yuri’s shoulder in one hand and spinning him around. Yuri’s head hurt. Otabek gasped.

“What?”

“She ripped your stitches,” He said softly, “Does it hurt?” Yuri shrugged.

“It stings a little.”

“Hold on,” Otabek said, and ran over to where he had left his backpack. He dug around for a moment before running back to Yuri with a Band-Aid. “Sit down,” He said. Yuri did, and Otabek knelt down in front of him. Otabek pushed his hair behind his ear, dragging fire across Yuri’s skin. Yuri stared at his eyes. They were so focused. So dark and beautiful. He could hardly feel Otabek’s fingers on his neck. His touch was so light. As soon as he was done, he was replaced by Aliya, who was telling him everything he had done wrong. Yuri didn't even get to say ‘thank you’.

They began the hike home when the sun started setting. Yuri had chugged all of his water as soon as they were done. He was covered in little cuts from Aliya’s fingernails. Probably every stitch had been ripped out of his neck. Aliya had fixed it for him after they had finished their training, but Otabek had still insisted on covering his stitches with a line of Band-Aids. Yuri felt like a goddamn princess when Otabek gently pressed the Band-Aids to his neck. Some time around the third one, he remembered a time he had been playing with Mila when they were kids. He was always too rough, and he had a nasty scrape on his knee. Mila’s mom had put some Band-Aids on the scrape. When she was done, she kissed his knee to make it feel better.

Yuri had almost asked for a kiss from Otabek that day. He had then turned bright red and launched himself back into the fighting.

Yuri wanted to complain about the sweat seeping into his cuts, but he didn't. Aliya wasn't complaining about the time he had thrown her against a rock and caused her to switch out with Otabek. Yuri felt bad about how she had laid on her back for a couple minutes, struggling to breathe. She stared up at the sky, and Otabek, the hero of the story, ran to her side. He tested her for a concussion, and decided that she didn't have one, but made her sit out anyway. She had tears in her eyes when she got up and stalked over to the edge of the clearing.

Otabek had been so gentle when fighting Yuri. Yuri thought that he was so kind at first, but then he grew annoyed after he started winning. There was no way Otabek was worse at fighting than he was. So Yuri had started going all out. He had pretended to kick Otabek’s shin, but then scooped his foot behind his calf and then pulled towards himself. Aliya had used it as her prime way of getting him to the ground when they had fought. Yuri straddled Otabek’s chest, trying to remember what he was supposed to do. He pinned Otabek’s right shoulder with one hand, and held his other forearm to his throat. Otabek had pulled one leg up and hooked it around Yuri’s waist, throwing him backwards. Yuri welcomed the quad stretch that came with it.

And then suddenly, Otabek was on top of him, pinning his arms and legs to the ground. It should have hurt, but Yuri couldn't think about that. His heart fluttered, and he forgot to fight back for a moment. Otabek could do anything he wanted to him and he would be completely helpless. He stared up into Otabek’s eyes. He could see himself staring up into those eyes as Otabek pulled off his clothes, or as he wrapped his lips around-

“Fight back!” Aliya croaked, and Yuri did the first thing he could think of. He twisted his head to the side and licked Otabek’s thumb. Otabek didn't release his grip. He just looked a little bit confused, so Yuri bit down hard enough for Otabek to yelp and pull his hand back. He brought his knee up to his chest and threw it up as hard as he could. He hoped he wasn't making a bruise. Otabek fell onto his left side, and Yuri jumped to his feet. “Yes!” Aliya shouted hoarsely, “That’s exactly the kind of underhanded bullshit you’re supposed to do!” Yuri looked down at Otabek, who was giving him a somewhat surprised look. His mouth was open, and he was panting slightly. His cheeks were a light pink, and Yuri’s chest had ballooned with pride.

When they finally made it back to the trail, Yuri felt like he was about to collapse. He couldn't take the half hour walk back to the bus stop. He hadn't done that much exercise since…ever. He grabbed at Otabek’s tee shirt when they got back to the trail.

“What’s up?”

“Carry me,” Yuri demanded. Aliya turned around.

“You’re weak and you’re walking back,” She said. She turned back around. Otabek shrugged.

“You heard the lady.” Yuri groaned.

“The lady is wrong!” He whined, even though he was still walking.

“She’s right.” Yuri jerked back.

“Excuse me? What did you just say?” He asked. Otabek smiled, but just a tiny one.

“The only way to get strong is through hard work.”

“Beka, I’m dying!” Yuri whined, “Give me a ride.” Otabek shook his head.

“I’m obligated not to,” He said, and then started whispering. “But between you and me, I owe you a ride.” Yuri wanted to pout and cross his arms, but instead, he was gleefully anticipating getting to ride around on Otabek’s back. It would be so much fun, even if Yuri was stupid and childish for getting so excited.

“So do it _now_!” Otabek shook his head. “Traitor.”

The rest of the walk back to the bus stop was filled with either Yuri complaining or making jokes. When they did get to the bus stop, he ran inside the little building and got himself a blueberry soda. It was ice cold, and he held it against his neck on the walk back to Otabek and Aliya. Aliya yanked the bottle away from him and nearly ripped the top off. Yuri’s eyes must have bulged out of his head- The blueberry sodas required him to use a bottle opener. She took a long drink.

“That’s my fucking soda!” He shouted.

“It was my fucking body you slammed into that boulder,” She said, but handed the bottle back to Yuri anyway. He drank about half of it in one gulp, pretending he couldn't hear Otabek laughing.

He spent the rest of the wait for the bus leaning against Otabek, though, so his betrayal was forgiven. The three of them went to the back row of the bus, where Aliya laid out across all five of the seats with her legs resting on Otabek and Yuri’s laps. Yuri wanted to laugh at how she was angering a family who was standing around the back of the bus, but he was too tired. He rested his head on Otabek’s shoulder. When he closed his eyes, he promised to himself that he was going to listen to the stops as they were announced. However, seconds later, he was being shaken awake and pulled to his feet at the Village Green bus stop. He didn't want to open his eyes as he was lead to the Grand Hotel.

Yuri opened his eyes upon Aliya announcing that they had arrived at the hotel. She leaned against the hotel wall for a moment, staring at Yuri and Otabek.

“Go on, have a really over the top goodbye.” Yuri wanted to be annoyed or embarrassed, but he didn't have the energy. He let himself fall forward until he knocked his forehead against Otabek’s.

“Ow,” Otabek said. Yuri leaned back.

“Meet me at the Village Green at noon tomorrow, okay?” He asked. Otabek nodded.

“What are we going to do?”

“You’re going to like it,” Yuri said, winking. He turned on his heel and started walking to Mila’s house. His body burned and as soon as he was out of view of the hotel, he let out an excited shriek and leapt into the air. He spun around before he landed, and didn't even care about how loud his feet were against the sidewalk. He had so much to tell Mila.

 

 

* * *

 

Yuri clung to Otabek as they wound their way around Cadillac Mountain. He could get used to this- pressed up against Otabek all hours of the day while the world whipped by so fast he could hardly see anything. It was a wonderful way to see the world, and he would miss it as soon as he got off the bike when they reached the top of the mountain. Otabek hadn't wanted to drive the bike- He said that he would have prefered to hike- but Yuri protested that it would have been a six hour hike. Otabek gave in at that. Not even he wanted to walk six hours uphill in the blazing sun.

There was a parking lot fairly high up on the mountain before the road turned into gravel. Not far off from the parking lot was a small store. They took a break there for about an hour. They sat on the deck outside the store and drank blueberry sodas. Yuri was also munching on fried chickpeas.

“Riding the bike is so much fun,” He said with his mouth full.

“Glad you like it. You could do it a lot more if you wanted to,” Otabek said. He nudged Yuri’s shoulder and raised his eyebrows.

“I want to,” Yuri said, “It’ll never happen though, ‘cause Yakov has a giant stick in his ass.” Otabek laughed without opening his mouth. Yuri was so proud of himself when he made Otabek laugh. Otabek looked so serious all the time, like he was about to march onto a battlefield. Making a guy who looked like that laugh made Yuri confident that he was doing the right thing.

“He doesn't want you to get hurt,” Otabek said. “He’s…like you, right?” Yuri nodded. “He knows what its like to lose people to Hunters. He doesn't want to lose you too.”

“I know how to fight,” Yuri said. Otabek raised one eyebrow, and took a sip of his blueberry soda. “Shut up!” Yuri punched his shoulder playfully. “I meant using _the thing_ . I’m great at using _it_ to fight.”

“Sure you are.” Yuri crossed his arms and pouted.

“I could totally beat your sister in a- An _it_ fight.” Otabek snorted.

“An _it_ fight sounds so dramatic,” He said, “Prepare to die at the hands of _it._ ” He was smiling.

“I don't get it,” Yuri said.

“It’s funny because you didn't say what _It_ was. _It_ could have been anything. Dead fish. Golf balls. Dirty socks.” Yuri smiled at the image of fighting Aliya with a dead fish.

“That is funny.”

“ _It_ is.” Yuri laughed, and leaned his head on Otabek’s shoulder.

“I’m leaving with you,” He decided, “I don't care what Yakov says. I was able to go to your hotel room even though I had never been there. It should have been impossible. I can find you like that again.” Otabek stared straight ahead. There was the area around the shop and then a drop off. There were other mountains surrounding Cadillac Mountain. The area closest to Cadillac Mountain was full of green and gray and brown, but past the nearest mountain, the mountains turned blue and faded into the ocean and the sky. Yuri looked out at the varying shades of blue for so long they blurred together. He could no longer tell where the horizon was when Otabek spoke next.

“It’s not safe.”

“I’ve never been safe a day in my life,” Yuri said softly. Otabek shook his head, and snaked one arm around Yuri’s waist.

“Tell me why you want to come with us.” He squeezed Yuri gently. He turned his head to look up at Otabek. There was no way he was going to let this chance slip through his fingers. He was going to be smart about what he said.

“Back at Jordan Pond, you said that Aliya was trying to avenge your parents. You also said that she had already killed the ones who got them. So now you’re just running around the country killing Hunters. My brother was trying to do that when he left Bar Harbor. So was my grandfather. You could call it the family business. I could be useful.”

“Wrong answer. Why do you want to come with us?” How was that the wrong answer? It was certainly the one Aliya would accept, and she would definitely have the final word when it came to whether he would leave Mount Desert Island with them or not.

“You have awesome, action-movie lives. You go on adventures every day. You go everywhere. You meet people and have fun. You do things that matter. I only leave the island on my birthday. I know everybody who lives in Bar Harbor. I’ve never done anything that mattered outside my own life. And you guys do that shit like that everyday.”

“Yes,” Otabek said, “But you have to realize that my life isn't as glamorous as you want it to be. I never know if I have hours or months left to live.” Yuri squinted at him.

“But you’re not…”

“Hunters don't know. They don't care.”

“I would save you,” Yuri said. Otabek laughed without opening his mouth, and Yuri didn't even care that he was being mocked. He could just hug him and never let him go. He didn’t know what was stopping him, really, other than the fear that he would be left behind when Otabek went back to living an adventurous life. Yuri didn't want to think about what would happen if he stayed on the island. He would probably never see Otabek again. He would never get to kiss him or make love to him, and he would have to mark his death by the time he stopped responding to texts. Yuri couldn't deal with that. Otabek was already slow with his responses, and it would kill him to constantly be contemplating Otabek’s death.

“Otabek?” Yuri asked. He grunted in response. “H-Hold me,” Yuri demanded quietly.

“Are you okay?” Otabek asked, but pulled Yuri into his chest anyway. Yuri shrugged.

“I don't want you to die.”

“What’s with the sudden change of mood?”

“I want to know when you die. If I stay here, that’s all I’ll ever think about,” He said, “And there’s always a chance you’ll come back.”  

“I’m flattered,” Otabek said, “Love me or hate me, both are in my favor. If you love me, I’ll always be in your heart. If you hate me, I’ll always be in your mind.” Yuri was hot inside.

“Since when do you talk like that?”

“I saw it in some graffiti.” Yuri snorted with laughter.

“Of course you did,” He said.

“It was on the side of a train, in Wisconsin,” Otabek said, “Wisconsin is boring, except for the philosophical trains.” Yuri nodded.

“What’s the rest of America like?” Otabek shrugged.

“A lot of it is similar from place to place. But there are differences in culture in different regions. Sometimes even in the same city.”

“How does that work?” Yuri asked.

“People and time. That’s how everything works, really.”

“That should be on the side of a train.”

 

* * *

 

Yuri took back every positive thing he had ever thought about training. It was the absolute fucking worst. His shoulders burned and his knuckles had started bleeding during the fucking warm-up. And Aliya was a terrible teacher. She taught like she was practicing with an equal. She kept yelling at him to hit her like he meant it. He did, but it wasn't enough. The harder he hit, the more his shoulders ached. He couldn't do it anymore, but there was no fucking way he was going to admit to that.

“You’re a limp noodle!” Aliya shouted, blocking a punch. She grabbed his wrist, and before Yuri’s heart could beat again, she was in front of him. She bent forward, pulling his middle over her ass and back. She flipped him over her back. Yuri’s tailbone hit the rock first, followed by his shoulders. His chin had been tucked into his chest, but when his shoulders hit the ground, his head followed and he slammed the back of his head into the boulder. Tears sprang into his eyes, and he couldn't tell if he was breathing. He focused on his breathing as much as he could- Inhale, and then exhale. Inhale, exhale. In, out.

“Yura!” In, out. “Yura, are you okay?!” In, out. “Aliya, I swear to God, if you hurt him-” In, out. Yuri started to breathe faster, and as soon as he did, he let out a loud, whiny cry.

“Yura, Yura, Yura,” Otabek whispered. He pulled Yuri up and crushed him in a hug. Yuri croaked. He wanted to shove Otabek away just as much as he wanted to return the hug. His chest was being crushed, and he couldn't get air fast enough. So he shoved Otabek off of him.

“I’m-” He gasped, “Fine. Stop treating me like-” Another gasp. “-A pussy.” Otabek furrowed his brows.

“You sure you’re fine?” Yuri nodded, and sprang to his feet. The world spun around him. He decided that there was a hole in the back of his head now. But he was up now, and Aliya was clapping slowly. Yuri took a moment to right himself, and waited for Otabek to go back to where he had been watching. He edged closer to Aliya, staring at her left arm. He didn't have a plan for what he was going to do, though. He was trying to ground himself by staring at her before she moved. Yuri was almost back to normal when Aliya took a jab at his neck. Yuri blocked, staring at her eyes. They were locked onto his. He did the first thing he could think of.

He spat, and it landed just under her right eye. She was confused for a moment, and in that moment, he punched at her unguarded kidney. She groaned, and Yuri advanced a step. He was about to punch her again when she sent a fist straight into his solar plexus. Yuri groaned, and she hooked his foot out from under him. He fell onto his back, and she climbed on top of him to strangle him. Only this time was different. Aliya ripped the line of Band-Aids off his throat, along with a could more of the stitches. He whined out in pain, and then yelped again when Aliya drove her knee into his bladder.

She shoved his head back, blocking his airways and pinching off his veins. Yuri tried desperately to get more air, but it wasn't working. The edges of his vision went black and fuzzy. He flailed his arms, trying desperately to get her hands off of his throat. She wouldn't budge. Yuri was certain that he opened up his wound a little more in the process. He didn't remember much after that, though, as the blackness overwhelmed the black-and-white image of Aliya glaring down at him.

 

* * *

 

 

When Yuri woke up, he felt pleasantly warm. His body felt relaxed, and nothing hurt. He yawned, and felt something a little strange on his neck. He decided that he was fine- He had been feeling strange things on his neck ever since there was a knife pressed against it. He opened his eyes, and looked around. He didn't recognize the room he was in. The walls were painted a light green, and he could see a TV on the opposite side of the room. There was an armchair at the end of his bed and set of windows to his right. He sat up, finding himself in a bed. There was another bed on his right. Both of the beds were very rumpled and messed up. Clothing was strewn about the entire room, and he could hear people talking. He couldn't make out the individual words, but he could tell that one voice was higher than the other, which was low and gravelly.

It took him another second to fully realize where he was. He was inside the Grand Hotel. His body shook slightly. He wasn't just in the Grand Hotel, he was in Otabek’s room. He had to be. There was no other explanation. Yuri touched his throat with his right hand, smiling softly when he felt a bandage and something very fluffy. He wondered if he would need to get stitched up again or if he should just let his body repair itself. At the rate Aliya was ripping his stitches out, he would need to get new ones by yesterday.

Otabek walked into the room. He came out of a door that must have lead to the bathroom. He looked frustrated.

“Yura,” Otabek said, sitting down next to him on the bed. If he was angry, his face didn't show it. Yuri sat up straighter. “How are you?” Yuri shrugged.

“I don't know,” He said, “My neck doesn't hurt anymore.” Otabek smiled.

“Good.”

“What’s it like to always be fighting?” He asked. Otabek shrugged, and leaned back into the pillows.

“It’s stressful. Difficult to always be running for your life. I don't always mind it, though. It’s really fun sometimes,” He said.

“Do you fight a lot?”

“Almost every day. I use my weapons if I have to, though. Don't tell Aliya I told you this, but she uses weapons and magic when she’s actually fighting.” Aliya, presumably in the bathroom, made a loud and wordless shout. Otabek shrugged. “It’s true.” Yuri leaned back against the pillows as well.

“That’s just like what Yakov does,” He grunted.

“Who’s Yakov?”

“He’s- I live with him. He’s pretty old, would have been at the hospital,” Yuri paused. He stared straight ahead. “He took me and my brother in after our grandpa was killed.”

“You’re lucky,” Otabek said softly. Yuri nodded.

“I know.” He shifted his body weight so that he was facing Otabek. “It must be easy for you to say that, though. You’ve had shit luck. I know what you’re saying, I’m lucky to always know that I’ll still be alive tomorrow. But just surviving isn't enough. I hate this fucking island, Otabek. I hate everyone who lives here. I hate that I’ve been trapped here for eleven years, and-”

“Come with us,” Otabek said softly.

“What?”

“We’re not staying here forever. You could come with us when we go.” Yuri’s heart soared in his chest. He smiled, and was granted one in return. Otabek was so beautiful when he smiled. His skin seemed to shine, and his cheeks got round. Little lines appeared around the corners of his eyes. Yuri couldn't tell what he wanted to do next. He could proclaim that yes, of course he would go with them. He wanted to throw his arms around Otabek, he wanted to touch that beautiful smile with his own- And suddenly he was overtaken by a need to kiss Otabek. His heart beat became loud and desperate. There was too much time between each pulse, and Yuri thought he might just drop dead. But then there was another one, and another, and he kept on living.

“Yes,” He whispered. He looked up from Otabek’s lips, and suddenly became afraid that his heart was stopping all over again. Otabek was staring down at his lips too. Yuri almost wanted to turn his head away. He wasn't sure if he could kiss Otabek. He could feel what he felt to his heart’s content, but acting upon those feelings was something else entirely.

When Yuri was thirteen, he had met a guy named Jesse Haugen. He thought that he was in love. He pined over Jesse. He dreamed of nothing but Jesse for weeks, humiliated beyond belief when he would soil his sheets. He had never wanted anybody as much as he had wanted Jesse. Sure, he had crushes, but those were fleeting and went away before the school year was done. Yuri was _in love_ with Jesse Haugen.

When Yuri was fourteen, Jesse kissed him for the first time. They had started dating, and Yuri had never been happier. When Yuri was fifteen, Jesse got them a room at the Grand Hotel. They had made out in the hot tub for hours, and Yuri had wanted to die of embarrassment when he came. But Jesse was forgiving. He took Yuri back up to the hotel room, and got him all dried off. They had fucked until morning, and Yuri had only bled a little bit during the first round. He was proud of himself.

The next time Yuri saw Jesse, he was flirting with some girl Yuri couldn't remember the name of. He had confronted his boyfriend- They had to be boyfriends, right? Making out and sex were boyfriend things, and he had done them with Jesse. They were boyfriends- and learned that he was a piece of sex on legs to Jesse.

The room was ice cold and Yuri prayed for his phone to ring. Instead, Otabek touched his waist with one hand, and gently tugged him closer. Yuri squeezed his eyes shut. He would be in trouble if he made it snow in the hotel room. He would get everything wet and ruin Aliya’s hair and the two of them would be mad at him. Yuri was saved by something smooth sliding across his foot. He shrieked, and jumped back. His eyes flew open to see a snake sliding up the bed towards him and Otabek.

“What the fuck?!” He shouted. Otabek sighed. He sounded sad, but reached out a hand to the snake.

“Yuri, this is Orawish. He’s Aliya’s familiar.” Yuri was a failure. Otabek was mad at him now, he could hear it in his voice.

“That’s badass,” He said, watching the snake slither up Otabek’s body, until it wrapped itself around his neck like the most extravagant Mardi Gras necklace ever.

“Between you and me, I think that’s why she picked him out,” Otabek said.

“I picked him because he’s venomous!” Aliya shouted from the bathroom. Yuri had forgotten that she was there. He grinned softly, and reached out to pet the snake on the head.

“My Potya could take him,” Yuri said.

“Orawish has been with us for five years, Yura,” Otabek said.

“Potya used to be an alley cat, until I saved her,” Yuri protested. He crossed his arms. Otabek smiled. Good.

“So, um…When are you and Aliya leaving the island?” Otabek blinked, and opened his mouth. He closed it almost as soon as he opened it.

“August,” Aliya shouted. Yuri’s heart sank. That wasn't enough time at all! He couldn't convince Yakov to let him go with them in two weeks! Hell, the only reason Yakov was letting him leave the cabin after the Hunter slit his throat was because he thought Yuri was at work!

“Oh,” He said, “Okay.” He hoped he didn't sound too sad.

“What’s wrong?” Otabek asked.

“It’s nothing. I’ll be ready to go when you guys are.” But he wasn't going to be ready at all. He was going to be stuck in his room, and he was going to live out the rest of his life in that fucking cabin.

“You don't have to come if you don't want to,” Otabek said. He leaned in, and whispered in Yuri’s ear, “Although between you and me, I’d miss you on the road.” Yuri shivered when Otabek’s words hit his skin.

“I want to,” Yuri said, “I’d go crazy if I stayed here.” Otabek made a face that he couldn't read. It annoyed him.

“Yuri, can I be honest with you?” Yuri shrugged. Whatever. “Before you make up your mind, you should know that Aliya is manipulative. She’ll ask you to do things you have no interest in doing.” Otabek looked away from Yuri. “Secondly. We make money by hustling pool or gambling with loaded dice. When I can, I DJ. I also go home with drunk, rich looking people steal their money after they’ve had their way with me. Are you okay with doing stuff like that to get by?” Yuri didn't know what to say. He hadn't really thought about how Otabek and Aliya got their money. He then felt a pang of jealousy for all the people Otabek had sex with. They got to have him because they looked rich. Yuri might never get to have him, even if they left Bar Harbor together. He wanted to be with Otabek because he was just about the coolest person ever, not because he was lonely, horny, and probably cheating.  

“It’s unfair,” Yuri said. Otabek shrugged.

“I’m used to it.”

“Stop being used to it! Its fucked up and you know it! Don't you get tired of living like that? Tired of being used?” Otabek reached up and pulled the snake away from his neck. He set it on the floor, where it slithered off towards the bathroom. He put a hand on Yuri’s waist.

“Yura,” He said, “I don't care. People have always used me, and at first it’s a little weird, but it’s normal and I’m fine with it.” Yuri shook his head.

“That doesn't make it okay.”

“It is.” Yuri shook his head.

“I can't- You shouldn't have to spread yourself around just to make a buck,” He said. Otabek looked defeated.

“Aliya doesn't.” At that moment, Aliya entered the room.

“Otabek doesn't let me. He thinks I’ll get hurt.” She turned to look at her brother. “I’m the one with the boobs and the low-cut dresses. Stealing from a rapist is okay with me.” She turned around and walked back into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Otabek closed his eyes.

“Everybody wants to hurt her except for me,” He said, rubbing his eyes. He blinked a couple times, and then looked back up at Yuri. “Before you make a choice, you’ve got to know all the ways living like we do will fuck you up.” Yuri tried to look at the positives when he spoke next.

“What else do you have to deal with?” Otabek shrugged.

“Sometimes we have to sleep outside. But, yunno, magic fixes it.”

“How?”

“Aliya knows how to make the air warm,” Otabek said.

“While she’s sleeping? That’s impossible. You’d have to be thinking about it really hard to manipulate heat,” Yuri said. Not even he could consciously sustain temperature changes for longer than a few seconds. Of course, he could make it snow, but not on purpose. It was because his powers were interfering with his emotions, and his brain decided that bad feelings meant he was trying to make it snow. If Yuri knew how to make it stop, he would never make it snow inside again.

“She sleeps when we’re on the road.”

“On a motorcycle?” Yuri was even more confused now.

“We’re tied together.” He supposed that made sense.

“That’s a terrible idea,” Yuri said. Otabek shrugged.

“Do you have a better one?” Yuri did not. At least not off the top of his head.

Yuri stayed in their room, hanging out and waiting until his shift started. Tonight, he didn't start until nine. Otabek walked him out of the hotel. He doubted that anyone would jump him in a building where rooms costed the same as a plane flight, but he didn't say anything. He enjoyed being walked out of the hotel, simply because he was with Otabek. When they got to the street, Otabek stopped and hugged him. It went on for just the right amount of time. Neither of them said a word until they parted.

“So, I’m not supposed to tell you this, but next Friday, Aliya and I are leaving the island,” Otabek said. Yuri’s heart sank, and it must have showed on his face, because Otabek’s eyebrows suddenly shot up. “Before you freak out, we’re just going to Bangor. I’m going to play at a club and then we’re coming right back. I was wondering…Do- Do you want to come with us?”

“Yes!” Yuri shouted, full of joy, “Of fucking course I’m coming, are you crazy?!” He threw himself at Otabek, and wrapped his arms around his shoulders. “I love you!” He shrieked, and then froze. He didn't know it until he said it, but Yuri had sorted out his feelings. Shit. He liked Otabek. Of course he had to like him. Otabek was the one person he could never have, and stupid feelings had to get in the way. He had been royally fucked. Yuri fell away, and took a step back. His face burned, but at least he could claim that it was from sparring. What a terrible lie.

“I meant, yunno, as a friend.” That should’ve covered it up. He internally gave himself a pat on the back. He was brilliant at dealing with things.

“Oh,” Otabek said. He looked down for the tiniest of moments. “You too.” He looked down again. “Well, actually-” He stopped talking. “I should go.” Yuri felt like he was fire and ice at the same time.

“No, say what you wanted to say,” Yuri said. Otabek shook his head. He lifted a hand to clutch his temples, and hissed when he made contact.

“I can't.”

“Talk.” Otabek shrugged and looked away.

“I don't-”

“Talk, midget!” Yuri shouted. Otabek raised both of his hands to about his chest.

“All right,” He said softly, “What I was going to say was…I wish you meant something different when you had your, um, shouty moment.”

“What?” Yuri asked. No. No, no, no, no. Otabek wasn't allowed to feel like that, that wasn't how it was supposed to work!

“Fucking- Yura, I like you. If you don't-”

“Of course I fucking do,” Yuri said, and he surged forward to wrap Otabek in the tightest hug he had ever given. Otabek tensed up, and then gasped loudly. Yuri tried his hardest not to make a noise, but a small laugh escaped him anyway. Otabek tentatively leaned into Yuri’s chest, and gently touched the small of his back. His fingers were rigid, like he was afraid to touch the boy. Yuri smiled, and blindly groped around behind his back until he found Otabek’s hand. He flattened it, and then let his hand hang at his side. They remained in their positions for another minute before Yuri took a step back. 

Otabek’s eyes spoke more than his lips ever could. They were wide with surprise, but he also had a hint of a smile on his face. Yuri grinned broadly. He felt brave the next time he moved. He held Otabek’s face between his hands, unable to suppress the intense joy he was feeling.

“You’re coming with us,” Otabek said. He was grinning now too. 

“I’d accept nothing less.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so the notes have returned. I know that the kiss at the end may have seemed rushed and out of the blue. It was sort of supposed to be that way. It's lowkey inspired by the story of one of my friends' first kisses. I've never kissed anyone (on the mouth) or had a romantic/sexual relationship before, so those parts are going to suck ass. Luckily, the next chapter will have it's fair share of fucked up shit, so stay tuned. And, as always, leave a comment or kudos if you enjoyed! It's greatly appreciated and really does motivate me to write faster. 
> 
> Check me out on tumblr: paraduxkys.tumblr.com (one day i will learn how to put links in here...one day...)


	7. six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey mates so in this chapter they try to do the sex. They're drunk (that's why they try to do the sex) and it's angsty and trashy. I'm ace and have never had sex, so it's probably pretty shit. that being said, i hope you enjoy the chapter.

Yuri looked at himself in the mirror. He looked good, he thought. He turned around to see how his ass looked in leather pants. He was surprised that Mila had let him borrow them, and even more surprised that they fit okay. He was five inches taller than Mila, and her pants looked great on him. They were stretched tight against his ass, and didn't even hurt his balls. He was a little embarrassed that their hips were the same size, though. The pants’ only flaw was that they didn't reach all the way down to his ankles. They were more like capris on him. Yuri refused to shave his legs. He didn't care if he looked weird. He had already shaved the important parts of himself anyway.

Yuri spent a couple more minutes admiring himself in the mirror before he walked out. He walked down the hallway to Mila’s room, where she was laying on the bed with her eyes glued to her phone screen.

“Wuddup?” Yuri said when he entered. Mila looked up, and smiled.

“Damn,” She said, “You look fine as hell, Yura.” He brushed a piece of hair away from his forehead.

“I know,” He said, crossing his arms. He leaned against one wall. “For real though, would you fuck me?” Mila shrugged.

“You look really hot right now, although it really depends on how drunk I am,” She said, “We’re basically siblings and there is no way I’m fucking my brother.”

“If you were Otabek, would you fuck me?” Yuri asked. Mila moved her eyebrows up and down.

“Yeah,” She said, “That boy has it bad.” Yuri shrugged.

“I don't see it.”

“You’ve got it bad, too,” She said, “It’s fucking five o’clock, Yura. When are you leaving again?”

“Eight,” He mumbled, “But, Baba, I have to be ready! Bangor is a big city, and its on the mainland, and we’re going to a real club and everything! And we _are_ hooking up after.” Yuri had fantasized about this night since the minute the idea was introduced to him. Otabek would be watching him dance the whole night, and he had to look the best he ever had. He looked down at himself, and then took off his blazer.

“Do I look better now?” Mila shrugged.

“You look good in everything. Maybe tie your hair back?” Yuri’s eyes dropped to his wrists, searching for a hair tie. They were both bare, so he returned to the bathroom. Mila got up to follow him, and while he was searching, she opened a drawer under the sink. Within the drawer were several bobby pins and hair ties. Yuri huffed, but plunged into the drawer anyway, pulling up a fist full of pins and elastics. He dropped them on the counter next to the sink, and started pulling all of his hair back into a ponytail. He tried to start a braid, but Mila only laughed at him.

“What?!” He shouted. She giggled.

“That braid is tragic!”  Yuri scoffed.

“You do it then, if it's so bad!” He crossed his arms and turned away from her. Mila was still laughing when she touched his hair. He couldn't tell what was happening for a while, just that whatever she was doing to his hair fucking hurt.

“Ugh, your hair is too smooth for this shit,” She groaned.

“What the hell are you even doing?” Mila giggled.

“It’s a secret, Yura,” She said. Yuri really wished that he could see himself in the mirror. Instead, he was stuck staring at the toilet bowl with Mila blocking his peripheral vision. He swore tears sprung to his eyes when Mila yanked at a tiny part of his hair.

“Ow!” He shouted.

“Dude, chill!” Mila said, “It’s your own fault, really.”

“Genetics’ fault,” Yuri snapped.

“If you curled your hair more, or dyed it or something, this would be a whole lot easier,” Mila said. Then she giggled. “Yura, do you remember seventh grade?” Yuri shuddered.

“I don't want to remember,” He said. Mila laughed.

“I miss your purple hair,” She said.

“I will walk away from you right now,” He threatened. She sighed.

“Seriously, though, hair dye dries your hair out. It would be a lot easier to braid your hair if it wasn't so smooth and straight.” Yuri shrugged. To be honest, he didn't think that his hair was that much of an issue in his current situation.

When Mila was done, she stepped away from Yuri. He turned around to face the mirror, and had to admit that his hair looked great. She had braided two chunks of hair to his scalp. They wound around to the back of his head, where they joined up with the rest of his hair, which was one large braid that was curled around itself a couple times. The end was pinned up next to the base. Yuri’s scalp was on fire, but at least his hair looked good.

“It’s bomb,” He said, looking at the back of his head over one shoulder. “Thanks, Mila.” She squealed.

“The prince knows my name!”

“Oh, shut the fuck up!” He grinned, and swatted her gently. Mila smiled. Yuri stared at himself in the mirror. He didn't look sexy enough yet. He closed his eyes, thinking about what awaited him. Hands pressed against his waist, grabbing at his ass, and utterly failing to undo his braid. His skin was already hot in anticipation, but that was just a fantasy. He didn't have enough skin showing yet. He stared at his tank top now. The front looked fine, he supposed. It was low cut in the front and had razorback straps. He wasn't hot enough. And suddenly the most brilliant idea ever popped into his head. He was glad it was his tank top and not Mila’s.

Yuri scrambled to leave the bathroom, tailed by Mila. He ran down to her kitchen, and found a pair of scissors in a cup that was filled with pens. He pulled off his tank top and turned it around. He was planning where he would start cutting when Mila arrived at his side.

“What’re you doing?” She asked.

“I’m gonna look better,” He said, and made the first cut. Mila gasped, but she was quiet after that. She watched his hands. He was holding the scissors in his right hand, and using his left to hold the shirt. He set the scissors down after a moment, and pulled a cotton circle out of the back of the tank top. Mila gasped, and Yuri smirked. It still wasn't enough skin, though. He made three slashes across the lower part of the back of the shirt, accidentally slashing the front in the process. Oh well. He had been going for more skin in the first place. Yuri threw the scissors down and pulled the tank top back on.

“How do I look?” He asked. Mila nodded.

“You look good. The tank top looks like it has seen better days.” Yuri scoffed.

“Well, duh.” He paused for a moment. “Should I still wear the blazer? Ugh, no, wait, blazer sounds dumb. Coat? Jacket? None of those sounds cool enough.”

“Reefer?” Mila suggested.

“Too Australian,” Yuri said. She shrugged.

“Hacking jacket?” Yuri nodded.

“That’s cooler,” He said.

“There’s not many cool words for blazer,” Mila said, shifting her weight to her right leg. “Although you should still wear it. Its gonna be cold when you’re leaving.”

“It’s summer,” Yuri pointed out.

“Element of surprise,” Mila said. She reached around him to tap at his spine. Yuri shivered. Otabek had better think he looked absolutely fucking gorgeous, or he had wasted his time. And he hadn't even done his makeup yet.

 

* * *

 

Yuri shot a text off to Otabek.

 

_im here_

 

**brt**

 

He shoved his hands into the pockets of the hacking jacket, and stared down at the sparkly lapels.

“He’s gonna love it,” Mila said confidently. Yuri hoped that she was right. His palms were so sweaty he was surprised that his pockets weren't dripping. He shifted his weight from foot to foot.

“But what if he doesn't?” Mila shrugged.

“Everyone looks hot if you’re drunk enough.”

“He doesn't like drinking, Mila,” Yuri spat, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. It was actually something he had only recently learned himself, during an all night phone call. Yuri was so happy that Otabek cared enough about him to spend the night with him and not a stranger who only wanted him for his body. Yuri would slap everybody who forced Otabek into sex with them, but then, he would also have to slap himself. He was trying to get laid right now, after all.

“Relax,” Mila hummed, “I would fuck you. And I’m your sister.” Yuri nodded.

“You’re right. I look like a fucking sex bomb.” Mila giggled.

“That’s the dumbest phrase I’ve ever heard you use,” She laughed. He turned away. He thought it sounded cool.

“Shut up, or I won't help you get ready for your next date,” He said. He would help her anyway. She looked like she was about to say something, and even opened her mouth, but then she whipped around to face the hotel.

“He’s here!” She squealed. Yuri had never turned anywhere faster. Otabek was walking out of hotel with Aliya, and Yuri had never seen a man more beautiful. Even without his implicit bias. Otabek’s hair was greased back, and it shone in the light from the street lamps. He wore a choker and a white tee shirt that was almost see-through and so tight Yuri could see the shape of his ribs, abs, and pectorals. Yuri’s mind was sent back to Jordan Pond, when Otabek had taken off his shirt. He had bandages covering the parts of himself that Yuri was now staring at. He couldn't wait to tear the thin fabric away from that body.

Over his shirt, he wore his leather jacket. Yuri hoped that it wasn't full of knives, although it probably was. And unless Otabek had developed a huge, oddly shaped tumor in the span of nine days, he had a gun on him. An idea popped into Yuri’s head. He almost choked on laughter.

Otabek stopped in front of him.

“Yuri,” He said, smiling in the softest way a human being could smile. “You look amazing.” Yuri smiled himself, and looked down. He pointed at the gun.

“Is that a gun in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?” Mila snorted, and then broke down into giggles. Yuri couldn't help but laugh too. He tried not to open his mouth, though, and just stared at Otabek with his shoulders bouncing up and down. Otabek’s cheeks were bright pink, and he was looking down. He pulled the gun out of where it was hidden, and tucked it into his jacket. Now, Yuri opened his mouth. He fell against Mila, laughing with her.

“You’re so stupid!” She shouted.

“It was clever,” Aliya said, bearing the smallest hint of a smile. Yuri looked up at her, grinning. Otabek was holding his temples in one hand.

“Oh my God,” He mumbled, “That’s so smart and so dumb at the same time.”

“It’s why I keep him around,” Mila said. She was still laughing, although she had gotten over most of the comedic genius of what Yuri had said. Yuri looked straight at Otabek. The smile he got made him feel so damn special.

“Ready to go?” Otabek asked, and held out one hand. Yuri nodded, and put his own gloved hand into Otabek’s. They only had four points of contact- Yuri’s fingertips touching Otabek’s palm- but Otabek’s skin was warm enough to make it seem like there were more. He lead Yuri to his motorcycle. Aliya had decided to Melt there to start stealing money early, and she was already gone by the time Yuri was strapping on his helmet. He hoped that Mila’s efforts to braid his hair didn't go to waste.

“Just warning you, its an hour and a half ride,” Otabek said. Yuri shrugged.

“I’ll kick you if I need to pee,” He said, and looped his arms lazily around Otabek’s waist. He swore he felt Otabek’s breath hitch. He rested his chin on Otabek’s shoulder, watching as he started the bike and slowly turned it around so that they could leave the parking lot. They had to go slowly at first, due to the traffic that always surrounded Main Street, but Otabek made up for it when he peeled out onto the highway. Yuri gasped, and tightened his grip with every part of his body.

“We just started and you have to pee?!” Otabek shouted. Yuri could barely hear him, but he smiled and shouted back _No_ as loudly as he could. He was excited when they drove along the road that went over the sea, but after that it was fairly boring. They stuck to the highway, where Yuri started to get very tired and cold. He closed his eyes when there was water within his sight, and opened them when they were on a bridge. The sky was completely black now, and Yuri tightened his grip on Otabek reflexively. He then loosened it up a little bit, and watched the highway pass him by. There were lots of cars, and the streetlights were on. Yuri’s face felt like it was freezing off. The world started to blur, and he slipped into a state where he was still awake, but his senses were dull and it didn't feel like he was inside his body anymore. Yuri pressed his cheek against Otabek’s shoulder. He wished he was listening to music right now, although he supposed that he was about to be doing that all night anyway.

Yuri drifted in and out of his body, and in and out of the Veil. He wasn't really thinking consciously anymore, but he didn't care. He didn't need to think consciously until he was off the motorcycle, anyway. He had decided that keeping his eyes shut was better than having them open. His eyes were tired; he had woken up at six to train with Yakov. He personally thought that training with Aliya was a lot better, because all she ever told him was how bodies worked and how to manipulate them. She taught him how to get out of bad situations by putting him in those situations, while Yakov taught him how to do complicated maneuvers that would kill three men before the first hit the ground. The only problem was that he would never remember them in the heat of battle. He could hardly remember the method for escaping chokes that he had invented when a pair of hands was around his throat. Fancy and effective ways to kill were fun, but Yuri had started wondering what the point in making something fancy was. The more there was, the more things could go wrong.

When they got to the club, Yuri was alert and his head was swivelling around to look at everything. He had never been to Bangor before, and he hadn't expected it to be like this. It was similar to Bar Harbor, but different at the same time. When they got off of the bike, there were no mountains to the right and no ocean to the left. They had passed rivers and skyscrapers and Yuri was full of wonder. They had passed so many cars on the way through the city. Of course, he had known that Bangor wasn't a tourist city. But to think that so many people lived here…It was amazing to him.

Yuri pulled off his helmet, and put his hand to the back of his head. His braids felt like they were still in order, even if his head was a little bit sweaty. He shivered when Otabek grabbed his hand and smiled at him. His eyes were so pretty in the orange glow of the streetlights. The side of his face that was closest to a street lamp was lighter than the other side. He looked so perfect, so beautiful, and exactly the type of person Yuri would love to have but never could. He internally gave himself a pat on the back for whatever he had done to make himself attractive to this man.

“Ready?” Otabek asked. Yuri nodded.

“Fuck yes,” He said. He was more excited than he had ever been, completely pumped with no hope of coming down for at least an hour or two. The pair of them started walking away from the motorcycle, and Yuri began to tingle. A sign caught his eye as they crossed the street. It read Half Acre Nightclub. And suddenly,  a switch was flipped in his brain. He was in the Veil the whole night, constantly being warned by Otabek to stop floating or being reminded not to fuck around with magic. Yuri felt like he was drunk before he even found the bar.

Embarrassingly, he gripped Otabek’s hand tighter with every step they took. There were so many people, and they were all strangers. Yuri couldn't keep a smile from his face. He was even happy when a laser temporarily blinded him. He fell into a haze of dancing. He was able to block everything out and focus just on Otabek. He relished in the feeling of Otabek’s hands on his skin. He smiled as he looked into Otabek’s soul- The boy was so nervous when he ran his hands across Yuri’s stomach. Yuri couldn't tell from the sensation, though. He was rather distracted by it. Otabek’s palms were like leather as they covered his body. Yuri swore that Otabek’s hands were spreading flames across his skin. He was probably bright red-

Yuri gasped loudly. Otabek was gently running his fingers around one of Yuri’s nipples. He pressed his hips back against Otabek’s groin as a way of saying _Thank you_. Only when Yuri was afraid that his nipples might cut through his shirt did Otabek stop. Yuri moaned when he stopped, although Otabek still ran his hands all over Yuri’s torso. His hands went so low that he brushed over Yuri’s dick. Yuri tingled with more intensity. He felt bubbly and tingly and like he was on top of the world. He was powerful as he ground his hips back against Otabek, and he was high when Otabek made little noises right next to his ear. Yuri felt lost when Otabek had to leave and be the DJ.

Only then did he start to drink, and after he did, there was no longer anything but himself, the Veil, and the overwhelming power he felt flowing through him. He felt really good, and with Otabek’s music in his ears, he could hear the sounds of his blood flowing through his veins. He wondered if this was what being on crack felt like. The hardest drug Yuri had ever done was weed, and that night, he was more high than smoking had ever brought him.

There was something otherworldly about the way he felt. His mind was working so much better than it did before he was in the club. He could feel everything, and he could see everything. He was so in touch with magic and the Veil that he could see everything that everyone in the club was feeling. He could see Aliya, across the room, trying to get a man drunk. He could see Otabek, up in the DJ booth. He was feeling anxious, although Yuri couldn't tell why.

The atmosphere inside the club felt better than anything he had ever felt before. His body felt amazing too; it wasn't just his mind. His skin was tingling pleasantly, and it felt like he was on fire every time somebody brushed against him. He kept turning around to look up at the DJ booth, too, and whenever Otabek was looking at him, he felt euphoric. He tried to signal that as well as he could while he was dancing, but he had no way of communicating without speaking, and the song was far too loud for that. He could feel noise in every atom of his body.

Sometime after his seventh drink of whiskey, Yuri decided that he would pay Otabek a visit. He stood on the opposite side of the room, and took a running start before he jumped. He threw his pants- Himself still inside of them- across the room, crashing into the wall on Otabek’s left. He fell to the ground in a heap, giggling. He stood up, a little bit dizzy.

“What are you doing?” Otabek asked loudly.

“I’m visiting you,” Yuri laughed. He blinked a couple of times, and it wasn't long before the impact of hitting the wall was gone. He was back to the state of total ecstasy he had been in before. He looped his arms around Otabek’s shoulders, and leaned down against him. He pressed a kiss to Otabek’s temple.

“Good music,” He said, “Are you on the radio?” He looked at Otabek’s hands now. They moved so fast as he mixed the music, but Yuri’s mind was moving faster. He could see the energy displaced by Otabek’s hands before he even moved them.

“Yura, you should sit down for a minute,” Otabek said calmly.

“Why? I feel great, the Veil is nice tonight…My man is hot as fuck…” He blushed a little bit at the end, but he doubted Otabek could tell. His arms were bright red anyway.

“I’m your man now, am I?”

“My man,” Yuri said softly. He wondered how he should do this. Otabek was still wearing his leather jacket, even though Yuri had taken off his blazer as soon as they had walked in the door. He snuck his fingers down underneath the jacket. He tugged it gently until it fell off of one shoulder. He was excited that he had managed to miss the knives.

“Yuri, stop,” Otabek said. Yuri pressed another sloppy kiss to his temple. Otabek made a little happy noise that time, just for him!

“I don't wanna,” Yuri whined, “It’s too hot in this room! Take off your jacket!”

“The weapons,” Otabek said softly. Yuri scoffed.

“Nobody can see them. Not like I can.” He took a step back and yanked the jacket down. Otabek’s shirt clung to his back. He was all sweaty, and Yuri grinned. He ran his fingers down Otabek’s spine. The energy displaced by Otabek’s soft yelp tickled him, and Yuri shrieked with laughter.

“Yuri, could you please not do that?”

“I do what I want, bitch,” Yuri said. This time, he nuzzled his cheek against Otabek’s.

“Stop.”

“But why?” Yuri asked. He didn't understand. Otabek’s mind was a stirring pot of emotions, but he could see the lust, the love, and the hope, and wasn't that all that mattered? The uncertainty and distrust couldn't have been because Yuri was tipsy. They were only there because Otabek didn't get treated right often enough. Yeah, that was why he was afraid.

“Because I told you to,” Otabek said. He used his left hand to finish off the song while he used his right to set up a playlist on his phone. The first song was a remix of a catchy pop song Yuri didn't care for. “Look, Yuri, I really like you. _Really_ like you. And I know what you’re doing. You’re- You have to wait until a different time if you just came up here to fuck.” Yuri scoffed, and flopped one arm out in front of himself.

“I came up here because I miss you!” He shouted, and threw his arms around Otabek again.

“You mean, you’re horny and drunk,” Otabek said. Yuri shrugged.

“I’m not drunk at all.”

“How many drinks have you had?” Otabek asked. Yuri giggled at how sassy he looked. He was leaning on one hip with his arms crossed. His lips were slightly pursed and he had one eyebrow raised.

“Uh, I dunno, like…ten whiskeys and a couple of beers?” Otabek’s eyes went wide and he held Yuri’s waist. Yuri smiled, and leaned into his chest. He frowned when he was pushed away.

“Yuri, go drink some water for me, okay?” Otabek asked. Yuri nodded, grinning. He floated his way over to the bar, and Otabek could see him chugging water. He smiled softly to himself, and then frowned when Yuri left the bar. He looked like nothing had changed. He went back to dancing alone. He pretended to look scandalized when a stranger started groping him. He had a round face and wore a backwards baseball cap. He had a shadow of a beard, and beady blue eyes. Yuri only saw Jesse, and he danced with the man out of spite. He was in the midst of grinding his ass back against the pseudo-Jesse when Aliya crossed his path. He giggled when he saw her- She was confident, and barely drunk. She was tugging on the hand of a very drunk man, who was full of lust and desire.

“Liya!” Yuri shouted, “Hey!” She whirled around to look at him, and smiled.

“Yura!” She shouted back, “How are you?” Yuri broke away from the man he was grinding against.

“The Veil is good tonight,” He said, and leaned on her. Aliya nearly capsized, but remained upright. She forced Yuri away from her without pushing him, but still grinned.

“I know!” She said, “I feel amazing!” Yuri giggled.

“You’re so happy!” He yelled. Aliya nodded, and started laughing herself. Yuri picked her up in a hug, and she was giggling and screaming and kicking her heels until he set her back down. She struggled to find her balance, but once she did, she was looking over her shoulder at her man.

“Babe,” He slurred, “Can we go?” Aliya nodded.

“Gotta go, Yura! See ya later!”

“Bye bye!” He shouted after her, and watched her disappear into the crowd. He went back to dancing with his own stranger. He was so happy. The Veil was starting to get a little bit less clear, but it was still more clear than he had ever seen before. There were over a hundred people in that one room, and Yuri was getting a little bit tired of having all of their emotions in his head. He filtered them out and continued to live in state of ecstasy until he felt a hand grab his wrist. He didn't even have a moment of surprise, though, because he had heard when Otabek left the DJ booth- He announced it over the speakers- and he had felt him walking over. He pulled Yuri away from the stranger, and Yuri leaned against him.

“Hey, baby,” Yuri said, and kissed the side of Otabek’s face a couple times. Otabek was being weird, and he didn't like it. He could feel the desire and love and the want. There was too much sadness, uncertainty, and distrust. What was he so afraid of?

“Hey, Yuri,” Otabek said. He put his arms around Yuri. Yuri moaned softly when  Otabek’s hands touched his back. “Are you ready to go home?” Yuri jerked back.

“No!” He shouted.

“Yuri-” Yuri shook his head. There was no way he was leaving when he felt so _good!_ He was powerful and dangerous and he could even see Mila’s soul if he thought about it- She was sexting an asshole she had started going out with in June. She was so far away, and he could see her with perfect clarity. Why the hell would he give that up?

“I like it here!” Yuri shouted.

“You’re drunk, Yura,” Otabek said softly, “How much have you had tonight?” Yuri shrugged.

“I don't fucking know,” He said, and looked back in time. He had eleven whiskeys, three pints of beer, and five glasses of water. He patted himself on the back for not having to pee. Yuri was a fucking champ at drinking. “‘Leven whiskeys, three beers, five waters.”

“Jesus Christ, Yura, how are you still alive?”

“I’m just a little tipsy, its fine,” Yuri said, “I feel great!” Otabek shook his head.

“All drunk people feel great…Shit, Yura, we need to get you to a hospital or something!”

“I’m not dying, am I?” Yuri asked. He was amazing, and he knew it. He was strong and excited for what was coming when they went home. The sex was going to be great. He could feel it coming, or maybe that was just the tingling sensation he had been feeling since he walked into the club.

“Yura,” Otabek whispered, and looped an arm around Yuri’s waist. “We’re going home, now.” He nearly had to fight Yuri to get him out of the club, and Yuri was crying by the time they sat down on the motorcycle. “Can you Melt us back to the hotel?” Otabek asked softly. He was holding Yuri’s face in his hands.

“What’s the fucking point?!” Yuri shouted, “I felt great inside and now I feel shitty!”

“It’s okay, Yura,” Otabek whispered, “Can you get us back to the hotel?” Yuri nodded.

“‘Course I can!” And then they were there. The way Yuri had felt while he was in the club was fading fast. He wondered if he would even be able to see how Otabek was feeling by the time they got into the hotel. Yuri cried more heavily now. He could feel his power slipping away from him, although his body still felt fine. Otabek helped him up, and he stumbled up to the hotel room.

“Beka,” Yuri whined when he sat on the bed. “I wanna fuck!” Otabek turned bright red, and looked down at Yuri.

“Um,” He said, but before he could continue, Yuri pulled him down so that they were sitting side by side. Yuri fell forward and leaned his forehead on Otabek’s shoulder.

“You wanna fuck me, or get fucked?” Yuri mumbled. He had half of a foot still in the Veil, and he was trying to see into Otabek’s soul. He couldn't feel as much as he could in the club, but he could see a huge conflict within Otabek. He could fix that, he thought, and leaned down. He pressed Otabek into the mattress and proceeded to kiss the shit out of him. He felt light and airy and _good_ as he licked around the inside of Otabek’s mouth and pulled his shirt up. Otabek was still, and he moaned softly when Yuri started to play with one of his nipples. However, just after that, Otabek bit down hard on Yuri’s bottom lip and put his hands on Yuri’s chest. He pushed Yuri away.

“No!”

“What’s wrong, baby?” Yuri asked, staring at Otabek with red cheeks. Otabek frowned.

“Our first time should be special, not some drunken hookup.”

“I’m sober!” Yuri protested, “I don't know why, but I’m not drunk!” And he didn't feel drunk. He felt increasingly buzzier, like he had just started drinking now, but he was still fine. He could have blown a zero on a breathalyzer. Yuri thought that maybe, if they did it fast enough, he would still be sober at the end.

“You. Are. Drunk,” Otabek said. Yuri rolled his eyes.

“Prove it.” And Otabek tried. He had Yuri walk in a straight line and count by sevens to one hundred and five. Yuri passed both tests, and only then did Otabek say yes. Yuri felt like maybe it wasn't the best idea a little bit after they started. He was drunk. And his drunk brain really loved kissing and grinding down against Otabek. He was on ecstasy again, just like at the club. His senses were no longer perfect, and required a little bit of magic to stay heightened. He tried to focus on making Otabek feel good, although splitting his attention made it feel like he was flying a rocket while building a bicycle and playing chess all at once. He gasped, dropping his head slightly to breathe. He turned to the side, and kissed Otabek’s neck. He nibbled at skin, struggling to breathe. The way Otabek was trying not to make any noise and gripping tightly at his waist was enough motivation to keep going until he couldn't do it anymore. When Yuri started to feel light headed, he moved his head again and pressed his forehead into the mattress. He panted, and moved one hand down to touch Otabek through his pants.

“Y-Yura,” He gasped, “Are you okay?” Yuri nodded, and took a couple deep breaths before moving back to rest completely on top of Otabek. He pressed their mouths together again, and this time, he undid Otabek’s pants and shoved his hand inside. The first thing he noticed was that Otabek was already hard. He smiled. Yuri moved his hand up and down while he kissed Otabek. He felt so warm and euphoric. He gasped when Otabek grabbed his front and started massaging it gently, and then moaned. It gave him a sudden burst of confidence, and he started to pull at the hem of Otabek’s shirt. He couldn't wait to see the man naked.

Otabek caught Yuri’s hand when he had pulled his shirt all the way up to his solar plexus.

“Wazzup?” Yuri asked, still awkwardly bent over with one hand in Otabek’s pants. Otabek’s eyes were closed as he panted. He was making little gaspy moans that Yuri found sweet, but also made him want to start fucking him immediately.

“I, I don't want to be naked,” Otabek gasped. Yuri bent back down, and removed his hand from Otabek’s pants.

“Pants?” He asked, and tucked his fingers under the waistband. Otabek nodded, his face bright red. Yuri took a small break, and kissed Otabek’s stomach instead. Otabek tilted his head back, whining softly. Yuri was so glad that he could make Otabek feel good. He was special. He wondered if anyone else had been so gentle with Otabek. Yuri took his time before pulling down Otabek’s pants. He licked at the outlines of abs and sucked a bruise onto each hip bone. He was going to spoil the fuck out of this boy, he decided. If he could stay sober.

Yuri decided that it was time to pull down Otabek’s pants when he started to sound more calm. He did, and then his vision started to spin. He blinked a couple times, and then found Otabek’s cock. He licked around the head. He tried to keep his eyes up, so that he could see Otabek’s face. His eyes looked like they were bigger, and his mouth had fallen open a little bit. He was panting, and making the most delicious sounds. Yuri had to look away after his eyes started to hurt He wouldn't ruin this by becoming drunk this long after he had started drinking. He pressed a kiss to the tip before he swallowed Otabek’s cock. He could taste a little bit of salt, and smirked at that. He thought that he was doing good. When he started to suck harder, Otabek moaned loudly, and then brought his hands up to cover his mouth.

“S-Sorry,” He mumbled, and Yuri pulled off for a moment.

“You’re fucking beautiful!” He shouted, and then popped back down to resume creating a vacuum with his mouth. Otabek continued to make pleasured noises, which made Yuri feel confident and drunk.

Otabek shouted wordlessly when he came. It was a surprise to Yuri, yet exactly what he was expecting. He choked a little, but swallowed it anyway. He moved one hand around the base and massaged the balls with the other, and he didn't stop until Otabek was done. He pulled off, and then collapsed onto the bed.

“Good?” He rasped.

“Y-Yeah,” Otabek said softly, wringing his hands, “Are you okay?” Yuri giggled.

“‘M fucking drunk,” He said into the mattress, “You still gonna fuck me?” Otabek shrugged and looked away. He felt small.

“I don't know how to fuck a man,” He admitted, “And you’re drunk.”

“‘S not hard,” Yuri mumbled, “Put it an’ you’re good to go.” Otabek looked down at his lap.

“It’s gonna suck,” He said to himself. Yuri shouted, and clumsily stood up on his knees.

“Imma do it!” He yelled, and pulled his pants down. His eyes were closed as he thought about lube. Lube was weird and sticky. Lube should be right here, he thought. Yuri had some lube at home, and it should have been here. He heard a small slapping sound, and then opened his eyes. The container of lube had appeared and then fallen onto Otabek’s stomach. “Yay,” Yuri mumbled, and clumsily floated the bottle up into the air. He did his best to float the lube out of the container and into his ass, and then stretch himself without using his fingers. He thought that he was doing a pretty good job, but really, he had stopped doing much of anything after the lube was inside him. Otabek’s heart was pounding out of his chest while he watched Yuri. It wasn't quite hot, but it was enough to interest his cock. It was weird to watch- The entire thing was in profile, too- but he couldn't help getting excited when Yuri started to stroke him again.

“It’s gonna be great,” Yuri said. Otabek was trying not to pay attention to the stink of alcohol on his breath and the way he was slurring his words slightly.

“D-Don't hurt yourself,” Otabek said softly. He hissed when Yuri poured some lube onto him- It was colder than he had expected. He barely had time to think before Yuri sat down on top of him. Yuri giggled, and fell forward.

“Is-” He hiccuped, and Otabek suddenly felt like the worst person in the world. His friend and potential boyfriend, potential bodyguard, was drunk out of his mind and Otabek had allowed things to get this far. He was an awful person.

“‘Zis okay?” Yuri asked. His forehead was pressed into the juncture of Otabek’s shoulder and neck, and he was gently pressing kisses to the cotton of the tee shirt.

“No,” Otabek whimpered.

“Why not?” Yuri mumbled.

“You’re drunk,” Otabek said softly, “I- I don't- I can't-” The floodgates broke, and a couple of tears started running down his face. And then he was crying because he was so pathetic and weak. The allure of having a hot boy sit on his cock was gone. He felt like he was much younger than he was when Yuri slid off of him and pulled his head against the glittery cross on the front of his tank top.

“Yer great,” Yuri slurred, “Yer fuckn…nice ‘n’ shit, yer hot, an’…yer great. Love ya.” Otabek jerked his head away from Yuri, and was somehow relieved when he saw that Yuri looked like he was hardly awake. The alcohol was starting to take effect.

“Yura…” Otabek forgot what he was going to say when Yuri reached down and started jerking himself off. His eyes were fixed on Yuri’s cock from start to finish. He was already so wet, and he was shining in the light that came in through the window. He was relatively quiet, until his hand was joined by one of Otabek’s. From then on, he was moaning loudly until he came. After that, he went silent. Otabek was pretty sure he had passed out. He had, after all, been drunk beyond sanity and safety. Otabek used his clean hand to wipe at his cheeks, and tucked the both of them into bed. He held Yuri close to his chest. He cried until he fell asleep. He could think of about a million better ways things could have gone. Yuri should have been sober, it should have been romantic, and they were supposed to be happy. Most importantly, he wanted Yuri to smile softly to himself when he remembered the night. Yuri wasn't even going to remember going to the club when he woke up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that this was trash. I tried to do as much research as I could, seeing as I am the antithesis of this chapter- Ace, virgin, hates drinking, hates parties, hates dancing- The list goes on. 
> 
> In case it wasn't clear, Yuri was sober when he was in the club, regardless of how much he drank. That was why he was so drunk and acting like he hadn't had anything. The reason why will be explained in better detail later on, but the fear of people in the comments telling me that Yuri would be dead if he was that drunk was too great. 
> 
> If you're here for the plot and the bad action scenes, that will pick up again next chapter. :)
> 
> As always, you can leave a comment or a kudos if you liked it. (please i have no other way to validate myself as a writer). 
> 
> tumblr: paraduxkys.tumblr.com


	8. seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I've been rewriting the plotline of the fic recently in order to fix a plot hole, so it's going to take a slightly different turn, although everything up until this point is still valid. The version of this chapter that was up before is no longer part of the fic. Fair warning, most of it is the same, seeing as not very much needed tp be changed to fix the plot hole.. Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy the chapter!

If Yuri saw one more goddamn Hunter, he was going to lose it. They had been swarming around Bar Harbor ever since he had gone to the club on the mainland. There used to be only a couple of them hanging around the island, and they came and went as they pleased. But now, Yuri found himself in the Veil more often than not. He had barely managed to escape them the first couple of times he had been caught. Yuri was proud of himself after he managed to get away without using magic at all. He thought that Aliya would be too, if she knew. He didn't tell her out of pride, although she probably already knew. Every Magus who knew what was good for them would be in the Veil twenty four seven now.

About a week after Yuri returned from the mainland, Yakov stopped him before he left the house. They sat down at the kitchen table, Yuri with his back to the air conditioner that was hanging out of the window. Yakov didn't say anything for a long time. Yuri knew better than to speak until he did, but this time, he had a good idea of what was going to be said anyway. 

“Yurochka,” He said, still not looking at Yuri. “I trust that you have noticed the influx of Hunters lately?” Yuri nodded. “I fear that they have learned how to locate us, either with technology or a learned method to harnessing our powers.” 

“How would that be possible?” Yuri asked. Yakov raised one hand. 

“Questions at the end. I do believe that we are safe for now, but in the event of another incident,” He paused, gesturing to Yuri’s neck. “We will be moving to Frenchboro.” Yuri shot to his feet. 

“ _ Frenchboro?! _ ” He shouted, “The- The kids there think that Bar Harbor is a big city, a-and I’m not going to be a fucking fisherman-” 

“Silence,” Yakov shouted, holding up one hand. Yuri closed his mouth. “Sit.” Yuri did not. Yakov sighed. 

“If you refuse to leave Mount Desert Island, I can't make you leave,” He said, “However. You are not to see your friends- The ones like us- until the Hunters are gone. In fact, we should not be so close either. You are very powerful, Yuri. And so am I, and so is your Magus girlfriend. Perhaps we are the most powerful Mages on the island. And that is why we cannot be around each other. If Mages can be tracked, they will certainly be targeting us soon. And it will be because of you.”

“So I’m not allowed to see Aliya anymore?” Yuri asked. Dread filled his body from the pads of his toes to the tips of his hair. Yakov shook his head, and Yuri’s heart dropped. 

“You should seldom see me anymore. I would like for you to move in with that red haired human girl. They will think that you are one of the few who Mages born to humans.” Yuri scoffed. Everybody knew they weren't related, and if somebody didn't, they’d never assume that Yuri and Mila were siblings. 

“What about Otabek?” Yuri asked softly. He regretted it almost as soon as he said it, but he needed to know. The last time they had seen each other, they had gone to the Cinerama again. Otabek was tense whenever Yuri touched him. 

“Otabek?” Yakov asked. Yuri nodded. 

“My…boyfriend,” He decided. A shiver ran through his body. He really did want it. He didn't remember what happened when they went to the mainland, but there had to have been something. After helping him with his hangover, Otabek had become an awkward excuse for himself. He was unsure of everything he did, and kept apologizing for touching Yuri. Yakov’s eyes went wide. 

“Is he he boy you’ve been with so often?” Yuri rolled his eyes, but nodded. “His sister is a Magus, your Magus girlfriend…I apologize for my assumptions,” Yakov said. Yuri looked away. He was pretty sure an egg  could be fried on one of his cheeks. 

“It’s cool,” Yuri said. He was quiet another minute before blurting out, “He’s not my first boyfriend, you know.” Yakov didn't respond, and Yuri was terrified that he had just screwed his chances of actually getting a boyfriend. 

“Anyway,” Yakov cleared his throat. Yuri closed his eyes. They were warm and dry and he felt like his throat was just a little bit clogged. “You can go to Mila’s house as soon as her parents say yes.” 

“What if they don't?” Yuri dared to ask. 

“Frenchboro.” 

“Right,” Yuri said, “I’m going to get my work clothes.” He ran into his room, and found Potya perched on his desk. He pulled her up to his face and then whirled around to collapse onto his bed. He squeezed his eyes shut, and tried not to make any noises as he cried into his cat’s fur. She yowled, and squirmed to get away from him. 

“Puma,” He whispered as she wriggled out of his hands. Yuri rolled onto his stomach and pressed his face into his pillow. He was never going to see Otabek again. He was never going to see Mila again. He was going to be forced to move to Frenchboro and he would probably die there, too. Nobody even fucking lived on Frenchboro except lobster fishermen, for Christ’s sake! And of course, Yuri would wind up as a waiter who saw everyone who lived on the island every day. Yakov would say it was too dangerous to even go back to Mount Desert Island, because it was too dangerous. He knew that the Hunters would never leave. Why the hell would they? He was going to lose everything- His best friend, his access to the mainland, and Otabek. Yuri had always been told that he could do whatever he wanted when he graduated, but Frenchboro didn't have a high school. If he did wind up on Frenchboro, he would never graduate. He would never be allowed to leave. 

Yuri sniffled, and wiped his eyes. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, and opened up his conversation with Otabek. 

 

_ we’re going to jordan pond. ill pay for your food _

 

**Liya doesn't want me to go out with you again.**

 

_ that sneaky bitch _

 

**Do not insult my sister.**

 

_ whatever i did i don't even remember doing it  _

 

**meet me at the abbe museum in half an hour**

 

Yuri promised that he would. He told Yakov that he was going to Mila’s. Instead, he Melted to her basement, and then snuck out. He walked to the museum, full of anxiety and trepidation. When he got there, Otabek was sitting on a rock to the left of the path from the sidewalk to the door. He was looking down at his phone, and Yuri took a moment to solidify this image in his memory. Otabek looked like any other teenager now. His face was free of any sort of wrinkle. He looked so soft and unguarded. 

Yuri took a deep breath and kept walking. 

“Hey,” He said softly. Otabek’s head jerked up. His cheeks were slightly flushed. 

“Hi,” Otabek said, “How have you been?” Yuri shrugged. 

“Seen better days.”

“Sometimes I think the best day of my life already happened and now there’s nothing left to live for,” Otabek said. It sounded wise and stupid at the same time. He stood up. “Let’s go,” He said. When they got on the bus, Otabek took the window seat. Yuri didn't care. He slouched so that he could lean his head on Otabeks shoulder. As soon as they touched, Otabek flinched. 

“Are you okay?” Yuri asked. Otabek shook his head. 

“I will be,” He said, “I’m sorry. You can do that if you want.” Yuri felt guilty when he leaned back down and rested his head against Otabek’s shoulder. Otabek was tense at first but gradually loosened up. Yuri was almost afraid to hear what he had done.

They got off the bus at Jordan Pond, and Yuri lead Otabek to the trail. They walked in silence for a while. They passed a couple taking a picture at the north tip of the lake. Yuri looked at his feet while they walked. He was wearing his keens, and every couple of steps or so, the shoes shifted so that he could see his glittery black toenails. He bumped his elbow into Otabek occasionally, and waited to be spoken to. Otabek’s soul was full of conflict and fear, and Yuri hated that he was the reason why. They were at the southern tip of the pond before Otabek started talking.

“We went to Bangor. There was a club there that we went to. Half-Acre Nightclub.” Yuri gasped at the name. His mind sprang into overdrive and his body started tingling. There was a slight breeze in the air. It was rustling the leaves on the trees, and Yuri could feel the sound waves slamming into every atom of his body. He yelped in pain, and then slammed his palm into his mouth. He imagined that it was something like being shot point blank, only the pain was unlocalized. It was everywhere. Otabek gazed at him with a surprised look on his face. 

“Are you okay?” Yuri nodded, and gestured for Otabek to continue speaking. It was starting to hurt less, but with every spoken word, Yuri was fighting to even stay on his feet. “After we got to the club, we danced for a while before I had to go DJ. You got drunk. So drunk that I wasn't okay with riding the bike home. We Melted back to the hotel and went to the room. And…After that, you started kissing me. You blew me, and then you tried to ride me. I said no. So you got yourself off…After that, you fell asleep.” Yuri was speechless and tingling. He didn't know what to say, and he didn't want to say anything. He looked Otabek in the eye, trying to remember something, anything, from that night. He remembered the drive, and how they had stood outside the club before going in. All he could remember was how fucking beautiful Otabek was. 

“Beka,” Yuri said. It made his skin feel raw, but of course, his complexion stayed milky. He reached out to touch Otabek’s hand, but the man jerked it back to his chest. He looked at Yuri with wide eyes. 

“Y-Yura,” He said softly, “I’m sorry. I…I wrecked our relationship. We had sex too early, and there’s nothing I can do to fix that. But-” Otabek said. 

“You didn't do anything wrong,” Yuri whispered, “I shouldn't have-” Otabek cut him off. 

“It still happened. I still feel the way I feel. I never expected you to remember. But I’m stupid and illogical, and right now, I’m still angry and sad, and there’s nothing I can do about it. So…I’m sorry for not talking to you,” He said. 

“Beka, would you shut up? I was trying to say that I shouldn't have forced myself on you. I’m sorry,” Yuri said. It was funny how easy it was to say. Then again, he had only just learned what he was supposed to be sorry for. He really did wish that he remembered, though. He was sure that any sex with Otabek would have been great. 

“You were fine,” Otabek said, “You were good. But you were drunk and I let you, and- I just…It’s so stupid. You deserve better.” Yuri snorted. Otabek didn't have a fucking clue what he deserved from a boyfriend. Yuri was a steaming heap of garbage and magic that put on tight clothes so that the rest of the world wouldn't notice. 

“Why do you care about what I deserve?” Yuri asked. “You’re the one who fucked a drunk guy.” Otabek swallowed, and stepped back. He stared at the ground for a moment before speaking. 

“I’m  sorry,” He said. His voice was strained. “I really like you. In the romantic, please run away with me, please feel the same because it would be crushing if you didn't, type of way. I don't want you to be hurt, and I just hurt you.” Yuri scoffed and crossed his arms. 

“You’re human. Humans hurt each other all the damn time,” Yuri said. 

“What do you mean?” 

“I don't remember, so my world is not destroyed,” He said. He knew it wasn't true, at least not yet. After Jesse, it had taken weeks for the snow to stop following him wherever he went. He hadn't even wanted to believe that it was snowing at first. It was just his eyes that were failing. Because Jesse was still his and not whatever the bitch’s name was. But time kept passing and Yuri’s head worked fine. And now, he could feel goosebumps forming on his skin already. 

“I’m so happy you’re not mad!” Otabek said happily. His eyes narrowed. “Y-You look a little bit blue.” 

“Give me your jacket,” Yuri commanded. Almost as soon as he asked, there was a warm jacket around his shoulders. He slid his arms into the sleeves. The knives felt was strange against his body, but he ignored it. He could hardly believe that Otabek trusted him that much. “Thanks,” He said, and breathed in the smell of Otabek. It was like he had been using cologne to smell good instead of taking a shower. And he had been doing it for a very long time. It wasn't a good smell, but in the moment, it was like crack.

“Are you sick or something?” Yuri shook his head. 

“I’m fine,” He said, “We should go to the restaurant. Get whatever you want; I’m paying.” He zipped the jacket, and looked up at the grey and windy sky. Fuck.

“I feel like a princess,” Otabek said softly. Yuri smiled as large as he could. 

“You are a princess.”

 

* * *

 

Yuri held his chin in his hands. He stared at the restaurant with glazed eyes. He would be allowed to go as soon as that one fucker who was sitting in his section left. Yuri was so bored. He itched to go to the hotel room. Otabek was working tonight, and Yuri wanted to be there when he got back. As a nice little surprise. Yuri shuddered at the thought of having to go home with slimy assholes every night just to get by. He was almost proud of Otabek. It couldn't have been easy on him, physically or emotionally. All that, and Yuri needed a place to live. Yakov had kicked him out of their cabin a couple nights ago. He had been living in Mila’s basement since then. His excuse was that he had accidentally set  the house on fire, and Yakov didn't want him to be near the construction site while he ran damage control. Mila’s mother had looked shocked and immediately welcomed him into their house. 

Living with his best friend was great, until he got a text from Yakov one day.  **Frenchboro on Thursday.** Yuri thought that was absolute bullshit. Every morning before he left the house, he had been doing a check to see how many Hunters there were in town. The number had been slowly dwindling. Yet the threat of being shipped off to an island where the most interesting thing to happen was lobster fishing had never been higher. 

So, naturally, Yuri and his cat were going to hop on the back of a motorcycle on Wednesday. He might already be waiting at the hotel if the  _ only goddamn person _ in the restaurant would pay and go home. He was tired of this bullshit. Mila had left before midnight, but Yuri was stuck there, two hours past the end of his shift, because of one guy. He huffed angrily, and continued to stare at the guy. He swore he knew the guy from somewhere, but he just couldn't place it. He had dark hair and blue eyes. He wore joggers and slides, and had a short, scruffy beard lining his cheeks. He would be pretty good looking if it weren't for the beard, Yuri thought. 

He passed the time by picking at his nails and listening to the bartender talk. There was nobody at the restaurant except for the guy. He had started eating his food, but he was just picking at it gently. Yuri could use a drink right about now. If he had so much as a sip, Lilia would have his head. Either that or he would go to the hotel flat out drunk and he might make Otabek sad. 

Yuri was resting his head on the bar when by the time the guy finished his food. He had never walked across a room faster in his life. He handed the man the check. The man’s fingers brushed against the back of Yuri’s hand while he was giving him the checkbook. It sent a shiver up Yuri’s spine, although it wasn't the same type of shiver Otabek made him feel. In that moment, he realized that he had seen the guy before, but he couldn't place where. Yuri was going crazy while he waited for the man to pay. He didn't actually know the guy, but Yuri knew that he had seen him before. Yuri decided that he did not go to school with the guy. There were only around five hundred kids at Mount Desert Island High School and he would remember seeing this guy. Besides, he was too old to be anything but a senior- and even that was pushing it. 

The man handed Yuri a twenty. 

“Keep the change,” He said, and smiled. It was cold, and made a shiver run up Yuri’s spine. 

“Th-Thanks,” He said. He tucked the bill into his apron and put the empty plate in the kitchen. When he came out, the guy was still looking at him. Yuri backed up until he ran into the wall. The guy kept his eyes on Yuri while he walked along the wall and opened the door to the basement. He flung himself down the stairs and into the breakroom, where he changed as quickly as possible. He was about to Melt to Otabek’s hotel room when he realized that it would look super weird if he went into a room and never came out. He groaned loudly, and then ran up the stairs two at a time. He stopped almost instantly when he saw that the guy was still sitting at the table. Yuri jumped slightly, but then shrugged it off. Loads of people stuck around for a couple minutes to text somebody, or put their wallets in their bags, or do whatever it was that people did before leaving. And the guy did have a large duffle bag sitting in the chair across the table, although it was untouched. Yuri walked out of the restaurant, telling himself that the guy was just going through his wallet or something before he left. He chose to ignore the untouched duffle bag. 

Yuri pulled out his phone while he walked up the street. He passed a store that used to sell bikinis- Cleverly named Bra Harbor- but was now inclusive of all types of swimwear before he pulled his phone out of his back pocket. He let his left hand swing at his side, and navigated to his text conversation with Otabek with his right hand. He started typing around the intersection of Main and Atlantic. The message would never be sent. Yuri felt something cold on his left wrist, and immediately jerked it up to his face. He gasped at the sight of a pair of handcuffs dangling from his wrist. He whipped around, only to see the guy from the restaurant glaring into his eyes. 

“Who the hell are you?” Yuri asked. The guy smirked, and Yuri took a step back. He looked down at his phone screen, and pressed the call button. In the time that he looked away from the man, Yuri was spun around and had a sock pulled over his eyes. 

“What- What are you doing?” Yuri shouted, and struggled to break free of the stranger who was currently wrapping him in a bear hug. The man snagged his phone from his right hand. “Stop!” He shouted again, “Someone, help!” He was writhing to the best of his abilities, and he couldn't tell, but he thought that he was on the verge of breaking free. He managed to whip his right hand free, and brought it up to pull the fabric away from his eyes. He tugged on his left wrist, but it was securely held back by the handcuff.

“Hold still,” The man grunted, “This’ll all be over soon.” Yuri ripped the sock away from his eyes and turned on his left foot. He brought his left leg up to kick the man, but his kick was caught just before his foot made contact with the man’s chest. He cocked his head to the side, and then moved one of his hands up to dig his fingers into Yuri’s calf. Yuri hopped slightly on his right foot. His balance was starting to fail him. He simply stared at his foot and the man’s hands around his ankle. He began to panic. Aliya hadn't told him what to do if somebody caught his kick. 

Just when he started to fall, the man twisted his hands apart so fast that Yuri was flipped onto the sidewalk. Yuri groaned when he landed on his stomach, but almost instantly, the man’s knee was digging into his spine. He tried to roll over, but before he could, the sock was slipped back over his eyes and tied behind the base of his ponytail. Yuri let out an embarrassingly loud whine, and tried to roll to the left. He wasn't strong enough to topple the man. All he got was the man’s laughter. 

“It’s okay, Yuri, I’m not going to hurt you,” He said. His knee was lifted from Yuri’s back. He tried to get up, but almost instantly he was rolled over and forced onto his back. 

“How do you know my name?!” Yuri shouted. The handcuff started to dig into his right wrist about now as well. There was no other option, he decided. He was going into the Veil and Melting straight to Otabek’s hotel room. Only…He wasn't. He couldn't feel a single thing when he tried to enter the Veil. Maybe he just wasn't trying hard enough. It was okay. He was fine. He thrashed about on the ground with the man straddling his waist, trying desperately to enter the Veil or break free in some other way. 

“I know lots about you,” The man said, and Yuri was momentarily distracted by the feeling of breath and spit hitting him square in the face. He turned his face to the side, pressing his cheek into the sidewalk. 

“Help!” Yuri shouted, still trying to enter the Veil. He felt skin on his throat for a single second before there were two hands squeezing his throat and cutting off his airflow. He wheezed, and flailed his legs wildly. He knew what he was doing. He knew what he was doing. He thrust his arms up, only he didn't strike the man very hard. He gasped for air, unable to tell how bad his situation was. He couldn't see, couldn't tell if his vision was starting to go black. 

“Yuri, Yuri, Yuri. You’re going to be amazing…” The man said. That was the last thing Yuri remembered before he blacked out. 

The man smirked upon squeezing all the air out of Yuri’s lungs. He made sure that Yuri was out cold before he picked the boy up from the ground and carried him to a 1979 Chevy station wagon. He pulled his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the car. He laid Yuri across the back seats, and then thought for a moment before fastening the three seatbelts around the boy’s body. The man slammed the back door shut, causing the whole car to vibrate slightly. He pulled the key out of the door and climbed into the front seat. The metal groaned when he sat down, just the way he liked it. He checked the time, and then seized up. He yanked the door shut and hurried to jam the key into the ignition. He became one of the few people to peel out in a station wagon and was flying down the highway in less than five minutes. He held the steering wheel with an iron grip. He didn't ease up until he crossed the border into New Hampshire. Until Yuri woke up, he was able to convince himself that he was running on a surplus of time. After that, he became anxious.

Yuri, meanwhile, was doing everything within his power to get into the Veil. He had tried for hours after he woke up. Nothing had happened. He had fallen asleep sometime before the sunrise, and he was still exhausted when he woke up. He must have had some sort of brain damage, he decided. There was no reason for him to not be in the Veil. There was no reason for him to be anywhere but where he wanted to be. It wasn't too long before he put it all together. It was the fucking handcuffs. They were keeping his arms pinned painfully behind his back, digging into his wrists. Yuri couldn't tell if he was bleeding or not, but if he was, it might have been too late for him. The handcuffs were made of iron, the one thing that could stop a Magus dead in their tracks. For now, Yuri was human. The thought terrified him. He would die without magic. He wouldn't be able to put up a fight. The first Hunter to come along would put a bullet right between his eyes and Yuri would be incapable of catching the bullet or Melting away. The thought terrified him. 

Yuri laid restlessly, unable to see the world beyond what light filtered past the sock. It was strange- even without the Veil, he was able to feel every bump that the car went over and every turn it took. Yuri tried to move into a better position, but he quickly learned that with his hands cuffed behind his back, there were no good positions. He drifted in and out of consciousness. He wasn't able to tell how long he was in the car. Almost no light made it through the sock around his eyes, and even that had stopped happening several hours ago.

Yuri found his way into a semi-sleep state, in which he could still feel his body but his mind was beyond the regular plane of existence. He hated it. Everything felt off with the iron biting into his wrist. He wondered if this was what human’s felt like all the time. As a Magus, and his body and mind were naturally better at handling sensory information than those of humans. The sensory information was also different for him than what a human would collect. 

Everybody could tell when somebody was looking at them, although not consciously. It was due the perception of another’s brainwaves. Most would feel it as a prickle in back of their neck, or simply call it intuition. But Yuri knew better. As a Magus, he could sense it consciously. Just like how a human sees or hears or smells. In the Veil, Yuri could pick more specific things out of their signals. Now, he couldn't even feel the signal of the man in the front seat. He felt weak and useless, and painfully ordinary.  

Yuri was thrown out of his stupor by the stopping of the car. The seatbelts cut into his skin. He tried not to breathe raggedly, but there was nothing he could do. He sharted to shift his legs. They hurt from being cramped up so long, and his knees cracked loudly when he moved them. 

“H-Hey,” Yuri said, “Are we there yet?” 

“Shut your goddamn mouth or I’m gagging you,” The man responded. His voice was tense. Yuri wanted to laugh. He had been asking if they were there yet every couple of minutes, just to annoy the man. He felt some semblance of pride, but it all went away when he heard the sound of metal creaking. He strained his ears, but it turned out that he didn't need to. The door opened, and then was slammed shut. Yuri instantly began to writhe around again. He had gotten his legs free of the seatbelts a while ago, but he was wearing shoes and wasn't able to use his feet like hands. 

Yuri suddenly heard the sound of his phone ringing. His ringtone was a recording of his favorite song when he was fifteen. He had loved Welcome to the Madness upon first hearing it, but he had slowly become annoyed by hearing it so often. Yuri had never been so happy to hear the song. He tried even harder to escape the seatbelts. There was one around his stomach and another around his upper chest. The one around his chest was the hardest to get out of. It required more fine motor control than his chest was capable of. He shifted his hips, grunting as he tried to pull them out of the seatbelt and towards his head. His struggle intensified around the end of the phone’s ringing. He screamed wordlessly when the phone stopped ringing. 

“No!” Yuri shouted, and threw his hips down against the seat in anger. He breathed heavily, with his head turned in the direction of the ringing phone. He tried to calm himself down. Such a task was nearly impossible, until he remembered that he likely didn't have much time until his captor returned. So Yuri laid on the seat and thought about how he was going to escape. He finally decided on an idea that sounded difficult but plausible. He groped around with his feet. He groaned when he couldn't hook his heels on anything. He decided to try something different. He dropped one of his feet off the edge of the seat, and moved it around underneath the bench until he found something he could hook his foot around. He pulled himself towards his foot, with the right side of his face pressed into the crumby seat. The seatbelt caught slightly on his chin, but he forced his way through. 

Yuri grunted loudly, and as soon as his forehead was free from the seatbelt, he sat straight up. The blood rushed away from his head, and he had to put a huge effort into sitting up. His lower back twinged painfully, and he pulled his foot out from under the seat. He took a break, panting softly as he thought out what he was going to do next. Yuri’s hands rested just behind his tailbone. He forced his hands under his hips, and then once they were past his ass, it was pretty much smooth sailing. Or so he had thought. Yuri pulled his knees to his chest. Now his hands were cuffed just behind his heels. He decided to pick up the right foot first, and looped his foot under his wrists. He looped his left foot under his wrist. Now, he had his hands back- Sort of. 

Yuri smirked, and brought his hands up to his face. He pulled the sock down so that his eyes were uncovered. He looked outside. There were dozens of other cars parked around the one he was in, and a McDonald’s to the front of the car. He must have been in a city or something. Yuri looked around the rest of the car. He could definitely get out of this, he decided. He looked to the back, and saw a highway. His heart sank. He glanced around for anybody who looked like they were trying to return to the car. He knew that his captor was a man, but he didn't remember much about what the guy looked like. He thought the man was shorter than him, although that description could fit plenty of people. The man almost definitely had blue eyes and a beard, although Yuri was anything but certain. He hated this! He was in the sort of situation he had been preparing for his whole life and he was absolutely powerless! Why hadn't somebody taught him what to do when he was handcuffed or touching iron? At that, he heard Aliya’s voice in his head.  _ Just don't let iron touch you. _ Useless. 

A man walked out of the McDonald’s. Yuri gasped, and twisted to the left. He tried to undo the seatbelt. Just when it came undone, the door creaked open. The man opened the door with a McDonald’s bag in one hand. He froze, and stared at Yuri. Yuri was still too. He couldn't think. He could just stare into the man’s cold eyes. He heard a soft plop, and his body was filled with adrenaline. He shot to the right, and kicked open the car door. He started to run. He moved slowly with his hands bound, and before he could make it out of the McDonald’s parking lot, there was a hand gripping into his shoulder and whipping him around. Dread slammed into him like a brick wall. 

“You will do as I say, understand?” The man said, and then spun Yuri back around. Yuri’s neck was being held in the crook of his elbow and his hand was holding Yuri’s throat. 

“I wouldn't do that if I were you,” Yuri said hoarsely. 

“And why’s that?” By now they were almost back to the car. 

“I was the most powerful Magus on the island. Some of us actually know how to deal with iron,” He said. He was turned around to face the man and then shoved into the backseat of the car. The back of his head slammed into a seatbelt buckle, and he groaned.

“You would have left already,” The man said. He climbed into the car, and pinned Yuri to the seat. Yuri’s heart started to hammer. He tried to wriggle out from underneath the man. There was nowhere that he could go, he realized. He told himself that it would be fine, and he almost believed it. However, Yuri was so far out of his depth that if he were to look up, he would see rock bottom. He was unable to break free from the man’s grasp and was wrestled into submission. One of his wrists was zip tied to a seatbelt, and the other was handcuffed to another. He was weak and powerless, he thought, and he was such a fool for thinking that he had a chance at escaping. He shouted and screamed and tried to kick the man, but there was nothing he could do. 

The man went back into the driver’s seat and the car started to move again. Yuri tried his hardest not to cry. He promised himself that he wouldn't. All it took was his phone starting to ring. The man picked up the phone, and took a look. 

“Otabek is calling you,” He said, and answered the call. Yuri wanted to spit on the man’s face. 

“Otabek,” The man deadpanned, “Dreadfully sorry, but Yuri is dead.” 

“No! I’m here!” Yuri shrieked as loudly as he could, but the man hung up the phone before he finished. The man turned around and grinned at Yuri. Hot tears began to run down his face, burning his cheeks as they went. He tried his best to hide his face in his shoulder. The man laughed, 

“Otabek’s pretty important, then?” 

“F-Fuck you,” Yuri yelled, “Why did you do that?”

“Nobody will look for you now. You’re dead.” Yuri sniffled into his shoulder, and tried to wipe his face.

“Who is Otabek? A Magus?” 

“Go to Hell,” Yuri said, and refused to look at the man for the rest of the trip. He was allowed to eat the soggy McDonald’s fries when it was night again. Yuri fell asleep sometime after that, and woke up in the still moving car. His joints ached terribly, although that was nothing compared to the pain he felt in his lower back. He whined slightly whenever the car went over a bump and his tailbone was hit against the clasp of the middle seatbelt. He drifted in and out of consciousness, and wasn't allowed to eat or drink, lest he need a toilet. 

Yuri was brought back to wakefulness by the car stopping. His head snapped up from his chest, and he took in every bit of information he could before the man’s face was all he could see. Icy fingers were on either side of his face, blocking out his peripheral vision. He tried to whip his head from side to side, but before much could be done, a sock was being tied around his eyes. His wrists were untied, and as soon as his left one was free, he began to flail his arm around. He managed to hit something soft. It yelped, and he smirked at the sound. He wasted his time in gloating, however, and soon enough the metal of the handcuffs was biting into both his wrists as they were secured behind his back. He shouted, and suddenly his hair was yanked. He yelled again, and this time he felt a hand cover his mouth. 

“Shut your damn mouth,” The man said. Yuri bit down on the hand, and it was the man’s turn to yell. “You have got one shot at surviving, and it rests on how pretty you are. I don't want to have to ruin your chances, but if you make me, I won't hesitate.” Yuri paused for a moment, and his body was jerked around again, until he was falling onto his feet and tripping over himself as he was walked away from the car. 

“Where are we? Where are you taking me?” Yuri asked, hissing through his teeth. The man laughed, and something hard poked Yuri between his shoulder blades. 

“You’re a brat. A little pull of the trigger can fix that,” He whispered, and Yuri was jabbed between the shoulder blades. He swallowed and kept walking. He tried not to think about the gun against his back. He was about to fucking die. He was the most aware of anything he had been since the handcuffs found their way around his wrists. He couldn't even do anything to save himself, and it had him soaking the sock with tears. Yuri had wanted to die at several points in his life. It was funny that he was so scared now that the time had come. 

He was cold all of a sudden. He could hear the sounds of whirring fans. He was walked around for a long time, desperately trying to pay attention to the direction he was moving, but without his sight and without the Veil, Yuri was nothing. All he could do was try not to cry too loudly. Just after his feet began to ache, he was stopped. 

“Shhh,” The man behind him said. He stopped touching Yuri, and for brief moment, he stood free. He wobbled slightly on his feet. He felt fingers ghosting over his wrists. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on edge, and he was hyper aware of everything touching his body, down to the scrape of a fingernail against his palm. Most importantly, the iron handcuffs scraped deeper into his flesh. The metal forged a blazing trail across his skin as it was pulled closer to his fingertips. He was confused to say the least. He didn't dare believe what he was feeling, although he was having a very hard time denying the truth. The handcuffs were being removed. The second the handcuffs left him, he sent his mind out to Bar Harbor. To Main Street, to the Grand Hotel, to Otabek’s bed. 

Instead, Yuri felt nothing. He tore off his blindfold and whirled around. Surprisingly, his captor was nowhere to be seen. He took in his surroundings- He was in a circular room with gray walls and dry air that made his eyes sting. Yuri took a deep breath and began to spin in a circle. He coughed almost instantly. Nothing had hurt his throat more, not even the time he had been so sick he coughed up blood. He continued to spin, though, taking in every bit of information he possibly could. When he had nearly made one full rotation, he saw something that shocked him so badly he fell over. 

A man was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. His legs were long and outstretched. He was slouching, with his pale arms folded across his chest. His blue eyes were like ice, or maybe a warm sky- Yuri had never been able to tell when it came to  _ him _ . He probably looked like an idiot, staring open-mouthed into his half-brother’s eyes. The memories flooding his mind made him want to cry. Yuri couldn't tell if he wanted to hold the man and sob about their lives or if he’d rather see him shot point-blank. 

“Hi,” Victor said, grinning softly. Yuri spun around. He refused to face Victor with tears on his cheeks. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey fam what did you think of that chapter? I'm personally really excited, because Victor is here. And yall know that when Victor is present, shit hits the fan. And now for a totally arbitrary question: How do you pronounce Aliya's name? 
> 
> Anyways, thank you for reading. I really appreciate it. Please leave a comment telling me what you thought- They mean a lot to me, and I like to hear what you guys think. 
> 
> (paraduxkys.tumblr.com)


	9. eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey yall how are your lives 
> 
>  
> 
> In the following chapter, there's a sex fantasy and victor acting like the 11th doctor.

“What the fuck is happening to me?” Yuri asked softly. He squeezed his eyes shut, and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyelids. There was only so much he could take in the span of two days. There was no way Victor was actually in the room with him. He tried to Melt again. He could feel the barely there tug of the Veil, so why wasn't he Melting? The Veil didn't need to be overwhelmingly present for his powers to be utilized, so why weren't they working? 

“Yurochka, you should probably sit down.” Yuri felt a hand touching his shoulder lightly. He turned back around. Victor wrapped his arms around Yuri and pulled him into his chest. “I’m so glad you’re alive,” Victor whispered. Yuri stomped on one of his feet and shoved him away. 

“Fuck you!” Yuri shouted, “You’re a fucking rat cock!” Victor looked surprised, and a little bit upset. 

“W-What’s wrong?” Victor asked. 

“You,” Yuri growled, “Have not spoken to me in eleven motherfucking years. You always fucking preached about family. Do you even know how old I am?” Victor looked down at the floor for a moment. 

“Sixteen?” Yuri scoffed. 

“Seventeen.” Victor’s blue eyes went wide. He took a step back, and hit the wall. He slid down until he was sitting again. 

“Please sit down, Yura,” He asked. 

“My name is Yuri,” The boy growled. He sat down anyway. “You better have a fantastic fucking explanation.” Victor sighed softly. 

“I’ll tell you after we get out.” 

“Bullshit-” 

“Do you know what’s going to happen to us in here?” Victor hissed, “This is a Hunter-owned warehouse. They- They’re going to kill us, Yura. There used to be three other Mages in this cell with me. This is where you go before they kill you.” Yuri’s eyebrows pinched together. 

“Why don't they just kill us on sight? They’re Hunters,” Yuri said. Victor perked up, and began to move his hands in sync with his mouth. 

“That’s what a lot of Mages think. Get caught, you die, right? No. Well, not always. There’s some who will put an iron bullet in your brain and dump your body in a river as soon as look at you. But there are others. We’ve really lucked out that we were caught by that kind of Hunter-” 

“We are the opposite of lucky!” Yuri shouted, “We’re not even touching iron, but somehow we can't use the Veil. We’re fucking screwed…I can't- This isn't happening. I need to get back to Bar Harbor-” He sprang to his feet and tried desperately to access the Veil. Even if he couldn't Melt, he needed to do something. At the very least, he needed form a psychic connection. He couldn't stand knowing that Otabek- And now probably Yakov- believed him to be dead. Neither of them deserved it. Victor smiled. 

“I thought you hated Bar Harbor,” He said, “You’ve come so far, little brother.” Yuri scoffed angrily. 

“I do hate Bar Harbor.”

“Then why-” 

“Yakov thinks I’m dead,” He said softly. If Yakov knew about the phone call, there was no way Yuri would ever be helped- Although maybe he didn't need it anymore, now that he had Victor. The way Yakov talked about Victor, one would think his birth had been the second coming of Jesus. Victor Plisetsky-Nikiforov, the all powerful Magus who could kill without risking his own life, who could force his wounds to heal instantly, who could win a fight while clad in iron armor. 

“What happened?” Victor asked. Yuri shrugged. 

“Got lied about. And you still havent explained everything!” Victor nodded rapidly. 

“Right, right. Sorry. So, we’re being held in a cell-” 

“I never could have guessed,” Yuri muttered, his words dripping with sarcasm. Victor didn't miss a beat, talking over Yuri. 

“-Made of iron.” 

“Why don't we just… I don't know, you hold me or something and then I fly, and then I Melt away?” Victor raised one finger. 

“That’s where the Hunters are one step ahead. Do you notice anything weird about the air in here, Yura?” Yuri shrugged. 

“I guess my lungs hurt? And my eyes?” Victor nodded enthusiastically. He stood up. 

“Yes, they do! Do you know why?” He looked like an excited puppy. Yuri shrugged. 

“No.” 

“The air is filled with iron particles!” Victor exclaimed, laughing. “Its so brilliant, so creative! I don't know how they managed to create equilibrium, though- Maybe they have a Magus working for them! I would say its done by a fan, but we would be able to hear it! Isn't this exciting, Yura?” Yuri stood up now too. 

“Doesn't this mean we’re stuck here forever? At least until a door opens?” Victor shook his head, holding his hands out in front of him. 

“Nope! I’ve actually been waiting for another Magus- I’ve been alone for so long, Yura! I’ve been so lonely without my Yuuri! I hope he’s okay!” 

“Wait, what the hell do you mean you’ve been lonely without me?” Yuri asked. Victor put both hands to his mouth. 

“Oh my god! I just realized that you and Yuuri have the same name! I’m sorry Yura! Yuuri is my boyfriend.” 

“You’re breaking up with him,” Yuri said firmly, “There is no fucking way you’re allowed to date somebody with the same name as me. And you’re so off topic. How are we going to get out?” Victor nodded. 

“Right. So you asked why we couldn't just help each other fly. We sort of can! Just, not in the way you’re thinking. I’ve been in here long enough to figure out patterns with the iron particles. They thin out and gather near the bottom sometimes. My guess is that that’s in the night- Probably when whatever is making it happen goes to sleep, or gets turned off, or whatever. When the time comes, I’ll pick you up, and you’ll hold onto the light fixture. You’ll be able to use the Veil, and you can fly once your head gets into a low enough concentration of iron! And- And then, you force all the iron away from us, and then we can both fly! Once we’re flying, we can-” 

“Okay,” Yuri said slowly, “How do you know the Veil will work up there?” Victor sighed, looking annoyed. 

“Because,” He said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, “The iron particles will be fall down! Honestly, did you ever even learn physics?” Yuri shrugged. 

“I did at school last year.” Victor’s eyes flew wide. 

“What the hell, Yakov! Grandpa and I did lessons in physics every night! The least you could do is make sure Yura understands his powers!” 

“I do understand,” Yuri said. Victor raised one eyebrow. It was so pale it was almost invisible. 

“Not well enough. When we get out, I’m going to teach you more about magic. You have so far to go, Yura.” Yuri glared. 

“Yakov and I were the best Mages on the island,” He said. Victor giggled softly. 

“Welcome to the mainland.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Yuri said. He was powerful. He was talented, and he knew it. How many Mages could Melt somewhere they had never been before at his age? He had been able to Melt to Otabek’s hotel room when he had never been there before after his throat was cut. 

“Actually, that’s pretty easy,” Victor said, “I’ve done it plenty of times.” Yuri felt like somebody had dumped a bucket of cold water on his head. 

“What the fuck did you just do?!” He shrieked. 

“Magic,” Victor said sarcastically, “I know how to do this shit because I live in the real world. You just…you’re in school and I’m a professional. Not that you’re not talented. Sheltered kids like you usually have a hard time with easy stuff like that. But you know, its because they’re so sheltered and their parents don't let them practice because they think that the second their child does anything magical at all, a swarm of Hunters will show up and kill them all. Of course, that’s bull, but the parents don't know that. Which brings me back to what I was talking about before- the type of Hunters we’ve been caught by.” 

“They’re going to kill us,” Yuri said. Victor shook his head excitedly. 

“But they’re not! They want us for something.” 

“What?” Yuri asked. Victor giggled softly. 

“They’re going to kill us and take our souls so they can steal our powers. They’re jealous,” He sang, “Its funny, isn't it?” Yuri shook his head. 

“No, its not fucking funny! How many Mages have died like this?!” Yuri shouted. Victor shrugged and looked to his left. 

“Probably hundreds, just at this one warehouse. But that’s not the point. Well, it kind of is, but isn't this exciting? I can't wait until they take my soul out! I need to know how they’re doing it!” Victor sang, “Because we do magic with our minds, but they can't, because they’re humans, and-” Victor screamed wordlessly “-It’s so cool!” 

“That’s nice and all,” Yuri said, “But we’re going to die! A-And so many other Mages are going to be killed, and we don't deserve it!” 

“That’s the problem, isn't it?” Victor mused, “But Yura, if we can escape, we can get help.” 

“There’s no  _ if _ about it,” Yuri said, “We’re getting out tonight. But first, you have to teach me how to make a psychic connection.”

 

* * *

 

Otabek gripped the handles of the motorcycle as tightly as he could. For once, Aliya was being slow. He usually didn't care about how long he was sitting on the bike before they began their travels, but this time, he couldn't stop his legs from bouncing up and down. The clouds above were dark. They would be soaked if they didn't get on the road soon. He turned his head to look at Aliya. She was still talking to Mila and Yakov. Otabek wanted to kill something. How long did it take to tell them that Yuri was missing and that they were going to look for him? He pulled his phone out of his pocket. He opened his conversation with Yuri. 

 

**guess who’s in ur room**

 

And then, two hours later: 

 

**Yuri Plisetsky is dead. Don't bother looking for his body.**

 

The second text was similar to the audio recording of the phone call he made to Yuri. That is, except for one tiny detail. There was a man speaking at first:  _ Otabek. Dreadfully sorry, but Yuri is dead. _ There was a second voice, though, that came in about halfway through the word ‘dead’. Otabek knew that the one screaming  _ No! I’m- _ was Yuri. If only the recording was more than three seconds, he would have more solid evidence. Aliya didn't want to believe him at first, but it wouldn't make sense if it were anyone else. 

He didn't understand why it was so hard for Yakov and Mila to let him look for Yuri. They had heard the recording. They should know more than anyone what Yuri’s voice sounded like. Mila had grown up with him, and Yakov was basically his grandfather. If anything, the two of them should have wanted to go with Otabek. He was finding Yuri for them. How could they stand to not know if Yuri was dead or alive? 

Otabek already had a general idea of where Yuri might be already. With some magical help from Aliya, he had been able to get the location of Yuri’s phone at the time of the call. It wasn't very helpful, but the phone had been on the Connecticut Turnpike when the call was made. Otabek was pretending that Yuri was still alive, and still in Connecticut. He was almost crying at the thought of Yuri’s body rotting somewhere. He hadn't even allowed the idea that Yuri could be anywhere in the world to surface more than once.

Otabek looked up when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Instead of Aliya, it was Mila. Her eyes were red and glazed over with tears, and she was squatting like she was on an album cover. 

“Otabek,” She said, “Please find him. I’m going to UCLA in a week, and I can't-” She sighed deeply and wiped her eyes. “The last time I saw him, I told him to shut the fuck up and stop worrying. And, well, Yakov won't believe me when I say that Yuri didn't run away. There was a guy who was freaking him out at work…Call it intuition, but he looked familiar and I  _ know _ that Yuri wouldn't have run away. Not now. I don't know if that’s helpful, but  _ please _ , Otabek, you have to find him for me. Yuri is my brother, and I can't stand not knowing if he’s alive or dead.” She wiped her eyes again, spreading her tears along the blue circles under her eyes and making them shine. She stood up after a moment, and then bent down again to press a kiss to Otabek’s helmet. He nodded. 

“I’m going to find him,” He said firmly. He didn't want to think about what would happen if he didn't. He decided right then that he wouldn't come back to Bar Harbor unless it was with Yuri. He refused to deign the thought of never returning. Mila nodded, and held out one hand. Otabek stared at it for a moment before shaking it firmly. She nodded again, and then left him. As soon as she did, Yakov took her place. He took a knee instead of squatting. 

“You are Otabek,” The man said. Otabek nodded. “I am going to give you my phone number. You must call me the minute you find Yuri, and provide me with proof.” He sighed. “I want you tell him that I apologize for telling him that we are moving. We don't have to if he doesn't want to. If he ran away because of me…Of course, its his own damn fault for getting taken by a Hunter. And try as I might, I cannot form a telepathic connection with him. You must find him.” Otabek nodded again. 

“Of course I will,” He said. Yakov raised one eyebrow. 

“If the boy does not want to be found, you can look until your grave and come up empty handed. I bid you good luck,” Yakov said, and walked away. Now it was Aliya’s turn to stand next to the motorcycle, though she had no inspiring speeches for him. She took her helmet from the back seat. She held it under one arm and ducked down so that one would have to try to see her, and braided her hair without using her hands. She stood again and put the helmet on. She zipped her jacket and sat down behind Otabek. She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. He slid further down the seat so that his feet could reach the pedals, and then they were speeding off the island. They took breaks every couple of hours, until they got to the location of the phone call. Otabek continued to follow the road until they came to a strip of fast food restaurants and gas stations. He pulled into a McDonald’s parking lot, and they got off the bike. Aliya’s arms came away from his waist, and he heard the sound of her helmet unbuckling behind him. He took off his own helmet and sunglasses, tucking the sunglasses into his pocket. 

They got off the bike and wandered into the McDonald’s. They ordered, and Aliya complained about how unhealthy this shit was while she wolfed it down like it was the first thing she had eaten in days. She always ate like that, though. Without her shirt on, you could see far too many of her bones. Otabek found solace in her visible muscles, though. He pretended that they weren't exactly like his own: Visible just because he didn't have enough fat to hide them. He wondered why they always ate like they were trying to stay thin. 

After they ate, Aliya went to the bathroom for around an hour. She was trying to form a telepathic connection with Yuri, and the bathroom was supposedly the quietest place to do so. Otabek plugged his phone into a portable charger he had brought with him and stared out the window. He waited for his sister to return. When she did, she looked awful. Her skin was pale and her eyes didn't shine. Her braid was now flat and she was panting slightly. 

“Fucker doesn't know where he is,” She said, and sat down. She rested her head on the table. 

“Tell me everything he said,” Otabek demanded. Aliya looked up at him. 

“He was kidnapped on his way to our hotel room. He was wearing iron handcuffs, and he was in a car for a really long time. He’s- He’s still trapped, but he’s with his brother and they have a plan to get out. He couldn't tell me what state he’s in, but he got kidnapped around three am, and managed to get his blindfold off around the middle of the day. The guy didn't put it back on him until they got to wherever it was they were going, and when they got there, it was just starting to get dark again. That’s all he said,” She told him. Otabek nodded, imagining Yuri stuck in the backseat of a car, hungry and afraid. He wouldn't have known what was going to happen to him, he would have been thinking that he was about to die. That was a terrible way to spend time, Otabek thought. 

“Three am to sunset…Can you get the laptop?” He asked. Aliya nodded, and went back to the bathroom. She was only in there for a couple of seconds before she reemerged with an ancient Dell laptop under one arm. She brought it to the table and handed it to Otabek. 

“Do your magic,” She sighed, and rested her head on the table. 

“Nothing magic about it. Its just math,” He said, opening the laptop. His fingers went straight to typing, and about half an hour later, he turned the computer to face Aliya. She looked up. There was a list of names below her brother’s smiling face. 

“What do those mean?” She asked. 

“These are the places that Yuri could be,” Otabek said, scrolling down. The list was so long it made Aliya want to go to sleep. “Although this is just what’s mathematically possible. I couldn't get super exact because we don't know when he arrived, but I was using the estimate of a seventeen hour drive. I estimated that the guy would be speeding a little- around eighty miles per hour- and then made the radius of all the places you could get to from Bar Harbor in that time.” Aliya sighed. 

“And I suppose you want me to do some actual magic instead of math magic now?” Otabek nodded. She groaned, and caged her face in her forearms. “Gimme a minute,” She mumbled. She actually wound up taking several minutes; in fact it was closer to an hour. When she was done, she lifted her head, looking even worse than before. 

“His brother says they’re still in America,” She said hoarsely, and got up. When she came back, she had a gigantic cup in one hand and was drinking out of the straw. When she was asked what was in it, she simply shrugged. 

“The fountain drinks are self serve and I have all of them.” Otabek shivered and went back to his list. He deleted all of the locations that were in Canada. It left him with a still huge list of Midwestern cities and towns. He felt a little bit proud of himself when he was done. He wished that he could communicate with Yuri using his mind. He had tried calling and texting so many times within Yuri’s absence, but all he got were voicemails and notifications telling him that his messages hadn't been received. He couldn't stop thinking about Yuri, although now that he was actually on the road, he felt fine. He was confident that he would be seeing Yuri again before the end of the night, almost angrily so. 

They left the McDonald’s shortly after Aliya finished her drink and continued on the road. Her grasp around Otabek’s waist changed slightly as they drove west. Even though they didn't have any idea where they were going, they would have to go west to get anywhere. They had clung to the coast throughout the duration of the trip, and it wouldn't hurt if they got to the line through the Midwest and wound up a couple hundred miles north or south of where they needed to be. 

Otabek’s mind began to wander away from finding Yuri. His thoughts were now consumed by the boy himself. Yuri- Dead at the bottom of a river. Rotting in a Dumpster. Every bone broken, or maybe with the back of his head blown out. Even with the knowledge that Yuri was alive and not in immediate danger, Otabek couldn't stop thinking about the his death. Since Yuri’s disappearance, he had been consumed by thoughts of the boy’s death. Otabek wondered if Yuri was afraid, and if he was, how much? Aliya reassured him that Yuri was with his brother and had a plan, but he couldn't trust that something hadn't happened between now and then. Something was always happening between now and then, and only once in a blue moon was it good. 

When they had first met, Otabek never would have hoped to be as close to the boy. He was never supposed to be, either. In a way, he had Aliya to thank. She had practically demanded that he befriend Yuri. The closer they were, the better. Otabek would ask Yuri to leave the island with him, and Yuri would say yes. He would help them in every way he could, although in Aliya’s original plan, Yuri was their body guard. 

Aliya made the plan the first time she saw Yuri’s soul. He was a dormant well of power. With her help, he could be incredible. Aliya practically lived her life in the Veil- Even while she clung to Otabek as they flew down the highway, she was running numbers and scanning the area for Hunters, she was investigating the list of towns through the Veil, she was checking the area for shady bars that would let in a couple of slutty teenagers. 

Living her life in the Veil meant that it was easier for tech-savvy moneybag Hunters to detect her soul. The difference between a regular human’s brainwaves and those of a Magus in the Veil were vastly different, to the point where it was blatantly obvious that a Magus was not human. And not only did Aliya live in the Veil, she lived on the run. And that wasn't even bringing in the things that could lock her up for life into the picture. Yuri would make her life much easier if he became her bodyguard. The only things she had not accounted for were Otabek’s feelings and Yuri’s capture. 

Otabek glanced down at the speedometer. There was no way he was going eighty three. He could see too well. He always had tunnel vision on long trips like this one, but he was going too fast to be able to see the lines on the road as anything more than blurs and flashes. He watched the number get higher, until it was so high he was afraid that he was going to crash and the horizon started getting blurry. Aliya’s arms tightened around his waist. He didn't slow down until the sun started to set and became blinding. 

They found a motel near the highway to stay at, and then left to go to a shady club. Otabek was even less interested than usual in what he was doing. He performed worse, he thought. He did manage to try out something new, though, which he applauded himself on. He had gone to the bathroom with a man, and the stranger had decided to fuck his face. Otabek had stolen his wallet, and then put it back after taking a few of the larger bills. 

After that, he was feeling a little discouraged about going home with someone. Aliya took a break from stuffing stolen money into her bra to tell him about a couple of strangers who had been staring at his ass all night. So he wandered over to the strangers. He went home with both of them, feeling nothing under their touch. It should have been Yuri he was with. If he was with Yuri, they would take their time. Yuri would blush softly, he would hold Otabek flush to his chest. He would be boiling beneath his skin. For the first time, Otabek would have loving and gentle sex. There would be no pain when Yuri fucked into him, and he would be gentle instead of the man who was currently slamming into him like a ton of bricks. 

Yuri would stay gentle, slowly moving his hips and kissing bruises onto Otabek’s neck. He would make Otabek feel like he was underwater and on fire at the same time. He would be able to look up into Yuri’s beautiful eyes the whole time. Yuri would come inside him. Otabek wouldn't care when his stomach started to hurt. He would come just after Yuri did, and it would leave him feeling tired in the best way. He and Yuri would hold each other and whisper softly about their feelings until they fell asleep. 

Otabek shouted wordlessly as he came from the fantasy alone.

 

* * *

 

Otabek would have loved to wake up and roll onto his side, facing Yuri. He would have stared at the boy for hours, drifting in and out of sleep until anything scheduled would have been hours since missed. 

Otabek woke up tired and sticky and sandwiched between two men much older than him. He was still for a minute, trying to will himself to fall asleep again. He sat up, and then winced. He felt like he still had something up his ass, but there was nothing there when he checked. He did feel something wet, however. He cringed, and pulled his hand up to his face. He did a double take when there was red decorating his fingertips. He tried to convince himself that it wasn't blood and wormed his way off the bed, trying not to wake the strangers up. He found his clothes again and wandered around the strangers’ house until he found a bathroom. 

He drank several mouthfuls of water straight from the faucet and then hopped in the shower. He cleaned himself and felt a sinking feeling in his stomach when he found a trail of dried blood on the inside of his thigh. After he was done in the shower, he wandered through their house until he found a pair of wallets. He emptied them of every bill higher than a one. It was what the strangers got for making him bleed. If Aliya had been there, she would have scorned him for making his theivory obvious. 

He left the house as soon as the money was in his pocket and drove back to the motel so fast that he could hardly pay attention to the pain in his ass. When he made it back to the motel room, he was greeted by the sight of Aliya sitting on one of the beds, staring at the screen of a laptop. Her face was wrinkled in concentration, and around her were their collection of roadmaps and journals about magic. 

“Beka,” She said softly, “Can you get me a coffee?” He shook his head. 

“I’m tired and my ass hurts.” Aliya chuckled softly.

“I was talking to Yuri just now. He asked how you were doing,” She told him. She closed her eyes. Her body quivered and she hummed at a pitch that was almost too high for Otabek to hear. Her jaw clenched for a moment and then she opened her eyes again. 

“He’s laughing at you.” 

“Tell him to fuck off,” Otabek said. Aliya did. 

“He says he’s feeling very attacked right now.” 

“Oh, shut up!” He laughed, and Aliya smiled softly before going back to clacking away on the laptop. She paused after a minute. She was currently looking into disappearances an deaths in the towns and cities they were suspicious of. There were five big cities left on the list of suspects, and nearly a hundred small towns and cities. She was growing angry at the number that was still there. She wanted to eliminate all of the places she already knew weren't realistic. Sure, it was possible for Yuri to be in South Carolina, but when she formed a connection with him, she could tell that it was coming from the west. This was one of the times she hated how precise her brother was about everything. 

The two of them worked for several more hours before getting on the road again. Of course, Aliya was still busy while they rode. She was talking to Yuri as much as she could, trying to zero in on his location and asking him to provide her with as much detail as possible. He kept asking his brother questions about their location, which made the trip extra hard on Aliya. She was constantly being jerked in and out of the Veil, which made it very hard for her to hold onto Otabek. She decided to just stay in the Veil during the trip, as it would be a lot easier to save herself if she fell off the bike. 

They went to a restaurant that night before finding a motel to spent the night in. Otabek decided that he didn't feel like going to a club or a bar that night, so the pair of them stayed at the motel and worked on finding Yuri. Aliya was rather annoyed that they hadn't gone out- Even with the way that they had been scamming the workers at the Grand Hotel, they owed thousands of dollars for their stay. A few thousand dollars was all they had at a given time. Otabek could get forty dollars from a wallet, if he was lucky, and usually only took a couple hundred when he stole from credit cards. On nights when he worked as a DJ, he could make anywhere between five hundred and a thousand dollars a night. Aliya could only make a couple hundred from hustling card games on a good night. She was full of rage that they had allowed their debt to the Grand Hotel of Bar Harbor get so high. 

During their stay at the motel, Otabek spent hours staring at the computer screen, clicking and tapping as he researched local kidnappings and missing persons in the list of cities and towns. He couldn't find much in the way of evidence. It was infuriating. Of course, Aliya was helping him from the Veil, but she wasn't exactly useful when she was talking to Yuri. Her body convulsed and shook wildly the longer they talked, and she looked like she was on her deathbed. Otabek checked her pulse and her breathing every now and then. She was fine, but he was in constant fear that the most important people in his world were dead or dying. And there was nothing he could do to help. 

Every so often, Aliya’s eyes would fly open and she would shout some small piece of evidence, like  _ Its next to a lake! _ or  _ Its in the north! _ The most helpful thing she had said was that they were in Wisconsin. Otabek’s eyes burned as he investigated everything he could. He wanted to say that Yuri was in Milwaukee, but that was just one explanation of the facts. There were plenty of lakes in Wisconsin, and if Yuri were in Milwaukee, he would have said that it was next to Lake Michigan, not just ‘a lake’. Of course, all of the information about where Yuri was happened to be second hand; coming from his brother. 

“Why don't you just talk to his brother?” Otabek asked while she was taking a break. Aliya took a sip of water and scoffed. 

“I’ve never met his brother before. I don't know what his soul looks like, so I can't find him.” 

“But isn't Yuri, you know, with his brother?” Otabek had asked. Aliya nodded. 

“He’s with lots of Mages,” She whispered, “There’s hundreds of them, all in the same building. We’re lucky I can even find Yuri.” And they returned to their search. It was a little after the sun rose when Aliya sat up, screaming excitedly. 

“I know where he is!” She shrieked, “He’s in a town called Oshkosh, only around seven hours away!” Otabek shoved the laptop away from him and tackled his sister into a hug. 

“You’re amazing, Liya!” He shouted, laughing softly. Aliya smiled, and shoved him away. 

“I’m going to die!” She said with the same enthusiasm, and then deadpanned, “Seriously, my head hurts so fucking much, if I don't go to sleep now, I’m literally going to die. Fake literally, but, you know…Danger.” Otabek fell back onto his heels. 

“R-Right, sorry.” He watched her climb under the covers. He was still for a couple minutes before he put the laptop aside to charge and put Aliya’s notebooks back in her backpack. He brushed his teeth, and smiled at his reflection for a moment before returning to the bed. Aliya was already asleep when he climbed in next to  her. He held her close, so that he would be able to feel her heartbeat throughout the night.

 

* * *

 

Both siblings were restless throughout the entire next day. Otabek was speeding at close to ninety miles an hour. It was a miracle that they hadn't been stopped for speeding yet. Maybe the police were just too slow to catch up to him. He wanted to be driving at a hundred and fifty miles per hour, but his bike was already hard to control at ninety. He would probably cause an accident if he sped up another twenty miles, let alone sixty. By the time they got to Oshkosh, he going about a hundred miles per hour. It took several miles for him to slow down enough that he wouldn't kill anybody when he entered the city. They arrived around sunset, and drove around the city until they found a run down inn near the Red-Light District. They spent the night making money, before they returned to the inn and planned for the next day. 

Aliya shivered with excitement and nervousness, flitting in and out of conversation with Yuri and his brother. Now that they were so close, she had been able to narrow in on the man. He was insanely powerful, and with his help, they were able to connect all three of their souls. The man’s name was Victor, and he was rather childish, but at the same time, he was a strategic genius. Aliya was filled with a new respect for him when she learned that they were in a room with a high concentration of iron particles in the air. She also felt a little twinge of pride at the fact that she had been able to force Yuri into the Veil with her even when he was saturated in iron. 

The two of them could hardly sleep through the morning, and as soon as they woke up, they were dressed and leaving the inn with huge grins on the faces. Otabek found himself laughing out loud when he thought about what would happen if the old lady behind the desk found out how many weapons were under his jacket. He and Aliya were covered from head to toe in knives, guns, and throwing stars. They set out to the location Victor had given to Aliya the night before. It was an abandoned warehouse between the edge of town and a forest. Otabek left the motorcycle a couple miles away from the warehouse, before he and Aliya headed to the tree line to wait for Yuri and his brother to begin their escape plan. 

Otabek was filled with a sense of dread, even though he knew that they were going to escape. They had to. Their plan was clever and guaranteed to work. He was just a little bit terrified. He decided to climb around in the trees, and almost as soon as he did, Aliya decided to start using the trees for targeting practice. She made sure to only throw knives where they wouldn't hit Otabek. They were silent for most of the day, until Aliya loudly tramped over to his tree, and then shot up the trunk. 

“It’s time.” He nodded, and left the forest. 

He felt naked as he walked across the empty stretch of land between the trees and the warehouse. His heart felt like it was about to burst out of his chest. He was so high on adrenaline by the time he crawled in through a broken window that he had started to move like a frightened Magus. He debated taking his shoes off to make his steps more silent, but decided to keep them on so that he didn't hurt his feet. He stalked through a maze of hallways, his eyes slowly adjusting to the dim light. He was confused as to how Yuri and his brother were even trapped here. The walls seemed to be made out of wood laminate, and some of them even had windows. If they tried hard enough, they could probably break out on their own. 

Otabek pulled a couple knives out of his jacket when he heard a creaking noise. He paused for a moment to slot the thin handles between the knuckles of his left hand. He held his gun in his right hand, pointing it at the ground in front of him. He was on edge, every hair on his body standing at attention. He tried his hardest to keep his breathing and his footsteps silent, but he still felt as though he was loud enough that even Aliya could hear him. 

_ Its okay, _ He told himself,  _ You know what you’re here for. _ Yuri was stuck in a guarded room that was, according to Aliya, near the center of the warehouse. It was supposedly circular, and had no windows. Otabek took a deep breath, and continued to move. Maybe that was his fatal mistake. Or maybe it was coming into the warehouse at all. He would never know. A cord was wrapped around his throat, and by the time he realized something was wrong, his vision was going black and his knees were hitting the ground. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey fam did you like that chapter? I sure had fun writing it. 
> 
> If you liked it, you can leave a kudos or a comment, and I will see you next time dont forget to subscribe and ring the bell so you get notifications whenever i post a new video
> 
> im tired
> 
> arrivderci
> 
> (paraduxkys.tumblr.com)


	10. nine

As soon as he got word that Otabek had entered the building, Victor wrapped his arms around Yuri’s waist and hoisted him up over his shoulder. Grunting, Victor tried as hard as he could to lift Yuri higher. Meanwhile, the boy was struggling to find some sort of balance. He was only stable where he was being held. He refused to help himself by touching the wall. It was made of iron, and he wouldn't notice if he was high up enough to use the Veil again. 

That was what he had thought on the first three attempts. He kept falling over Victor’s shoulder like a sack of flour. Now, he had tried to stick his fingers into the gap between two of the iron panels on the wall for balance. He was itching to be in the Veil again. Another problem, though, was that he didn't think he was capable of standing on Victor’s shoulders and jumping to grab a light fixture. Their combined height was twelve feet, and Yuri’s arms were around three feet from shoulder to fingertip. They would still be too short, even when stacked on top of each other. The ceiling was around twenty feet, according to Victor. Yuri had never hated his brother more than when he said the words “You can let go of the wall now, Yura.” 

Victor’s plan almost certainly involved Yuri breaking his neck. Yuri cursed himself for it, but he let go of the wall. He had to admit, when he stood up straight, he did feel a stronger connection with the Veil. He focussed all of his energy on keeping himself upright. He stretched his arms up over his head. He squinted in the harsh light. He could totally get the light. Yeah, he could do anything he wanted. He was a badass. 

“Ready?” Victor asked.  _ No, of course I’m not fucking ready! _ Yuri screamed in his head. Victor’s plan had very low odds of going well for him. He was going to get to the ceiling in the same way rockets were launched: Victor would jump as high as he could. When he was at his highest point, Yuri was supposed to jump and grab the light. Yuri had to admire Victor for his cleverness, although it was drowned out by all of the hundreds of things that could go wrong. Yuri wondered if he even needed to jump. Victor was tall, and even though Yuri was taller, he could probably get to the light fixture without even needing to jump. 

“Y-Yeah,” Yuri said nervously. Victor gave his foot a comforting pat before sinking. Yuri wobbled, pinwheeling his arms and bending his knees. He tensed all of the muscles in his lower body, and suddenly he was being pushed upwards. He was even more off balance now. He tried not to think about it; as he only had a couple of seconds. He pressed down into Victor’s shoulders as soon as he started to fall, and then he was free in the air. He swore his heart stopped. Or maybe it flew out of his chest, or came out of his mouth. Maybe he fell to the ground and broke his heart alongside his skeleton. Yuri squeezed his eyes shut and prayed that he would be able to grab the light fixture. 

His fingers touched something smooth and cold, and he closed his fist. He started to slip down. He thrashed his legs wildly. With just a tiny push from the Veil, he was dangling from the light fixture. Panting, Yuri opened his eyes. He looked down at Victor, who was sprawled on the floor. 

“You did it!” Victor said happily, and gave a soft round of applause. Yuri spat. 

“Fuck you,” He grunted. He could feel his hands slipping already. His knuckles were white and his arms were so strained that he his veins were beginning to look more pronounced. Yuri tried to breathe deeply, and closed his eyes. He entered the Veil, and forced his clothes to cling to his body. He let go of the lamp, and forced the back of his tee shirt up the ceiling. The seat of his shorts followed shortly after. Yuri could almost laugh when his legs dangled. When he was a kid, he would lay on his back and stare at the sloped ceiling of Yakov’s cabin. What would the world look like if it was upside down? He did eventually learn, of course, when he was thirteen. He wound up hobbling around on crutches with one arm in a cast. 

Yuri didn't have much time to enjoy being on the ceiling, however. Victor was on his feet again, instructing Yuri on what he was to do. Yuri grumbled, but closed his eyes and divided his energy between keeping himself pinned to the ceiling and the iron particles in the air. The latter was the more difficult of the two tasks, and he could feel himself getting lower the harder he worked on finding every single goddamn piece of iron. He decided to work from the top down, forcing the iron in the air to clump together until it was heavy enough to fall to the floor. It took him a while, and when he opened his eyes again, he was levitating about halfway between the ceiling and the floor. He righted himself, and then let himself down slowly. As soon as he touched down on the floor, Victor was tackling him in a hug. 

“Yura, you did amazing! Especially for your first time dealing with iron! Its so hard, and you did such a good job!” Victor said shrilly, “But seriously, whatever the fuck Yakov was teaching you, I’m going to teach you thousand times better.” Yuri shrugged, grinning and breathing heavily.

“He’s pretty protective,” He agreed, “What do we do now?” Victor’s eyebrows shot up. He made finger guns, and pointed them both at Yuri. 

“If your human friend is on top of his shit, we should be able to fly, unlock the door, and then walk right out.” Yuri frowned. There was no way it would be that easy. Nothing was ever that easy. But he trusted Otabek. He felt a little giddy as he jumped and then caught his clothes before he could fall. He couldn't wait to see Otabek, even though he was literally on the other side of the door. Victor jumped into the air, and while he flew, unlocked the door. Yuri shot into the door, forcing it open. 

“Otabek!” He shouted, and stumbled. He fell down, and looked up. Instead of Otabek, he was faced with a crowd of men. They all stared at him, and in that time, Yuri realized his mistake. They were Hunters. Hunters who were still outside the cell, which meant that Otabek hadn't come. But it was impossible. Aliya had told him as soon as Otabek had come into the building! She even told him when he was getting close, so where the fuck was he?! Yuri shot to his feet, just in front of Victor. The two of them stared at the six men in front of them. Victor smirked, and three of them were thrown out of the way. Yuri blinked in surprise, and then was shoved to the side as Victor began sprinting away. He was still for a moment before following his brother, only to be grabbed by one of the guards. He turned to face the man, and rotated his trapped wrist until the man’s thumb was covering his veins. He ripped his hand away. His arm was bent like he was trying to show off how strong his biceps were. He let his arm drop, and then turned to run away. 

Yuri’s heart sounded like the countdown at the end of a sports game. He couldn't think, he couldn't see. He just kept running. He could see some slightly nuanced shadows, and moved towards them as quickly as he could. The loud, pounding footsteps behind him were what a stampede of wild animals must have sounded like. He forced himself to go faster. He was  _ going  _ to make it out, just as soon as he was back in the Veil again. Yuri closed his eyes, trying to focus. He realized just how stupid that had been just a moment later, when he crashed into something hard. He fell backwards, landing on his tailbone and hitting the back of his head off the ground. Yuri coughed. 

“Fuck,” He muttered, struggling to catch his breath. He was frozen as the sounds of footsteps grew closer. He was on his feet, willing his eyes to adjust to the darkness faster. He shouted as he began to sprint, wasting precious oxygen. He turned a corner, and ran down a hallway. The sounds of footsteps were now even more intense. He nearly slammed himself into a wall again as he flung his body around another corner. He felt as though he had been struck by lightning when he saw another group of Hunters walking towards him. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying desperately to enter the Veil. He was halfway there, halfway ready to Melt, when a something cold wound around his wrist. He was thrust free of the Veil, almost violently. His eyes shot open.

“Fuck you!” Yuri screamed, and brought a knee to his stomach. He kicked the chest of a man in front of him. His heart sank when the man caught his foot before it made contact with his chest. The man jerked his foot in the other direction,  and Yuri was powerless to stop himself from tumbling to the ground. He groaned loudly, and then scrambled to his feet. He felt tears behind his eyes when he turned around to run and found himself surrounded by Hunters. One of them stepped out of the crowd. Yuri growled loudly upon seeing the man. He was the one who brought Yuri here. And before Yuri could think, a pair of hands were around his throat, pushing him down. He tried to think. He had less than ten seconds before he wouldn't be able to fight back anymore. But maybe the problem could be the solution.  

Yuri let himself fall limp and his eyelids slide shut.

 

* * *

 

Otabek woke with a start. He was bombarded with sensations. The first one he could pick out was cold. He could feel a draft against his skin, chilling him to the very core. His eyes felt tired and they weren't even open. He tried to move his left arm, but his wrist was stopped by something cold and hard. He opened his eyes, squinting in the bright light. He looked down at his left hand, and saw that he was currently handcuffed to a table. It pressed painfully into his lower back. He would bet all of his money that he would be bruised or maybe even bleeding when he got loose. 

He looked down at his body- His shirt and jacket were gone, along with his shoes and socks. His gun and spare clips were gone, and when he pressed his calves against the table, he couldn't feel the familiar press of a blade. He jerked his head around, trying to locate his possessions. There was no way he could help Yuri escape from the warehouse without a weapon. He sighed, and took in his surroundings. He was in alone in the room, which looked a lot like Yuri’s hospital suite from when his throat was slit. There was a counter along one of the walls, and a curtain to his right. On the counter were several tools and vials. Otabek assumed to tools to be for medicinal use. The vials were mostly empty, except for one, which was filled with a deep red liquid. Even though he hoped that it wasn't, Otabek knew that it was blood. The air in the room even smelled of iron. 

He jerked his right arm now, and was met with blossoming pain his elbow. He felt as though he had just been doused in boiling water. He tilted his head to look at his arm. There was a bandage wrapped around his elbow, although a huge, dark bruise was wrapping around his skin below the gauze. He tried to duck his head down closer to his arm, but couldn't get his chin down any further than his shoulder due to his restraints. He grunted angrily, and tried to kick the table, but his ankles were also tied down. He opted instead for banging his head against the hardwood, but that only resulted in tears springing to his eyes and even more frustration. 

“Yura,” He whispered under his breath. He switched to his native language, in case somebody might have been listening. “I will find you, I promise. I will save you, and then once all of this Hunter business is behind us, you can have the life you want to have.” He closed his eyes after he finished speaking, and tried to relieve his body of tension. He had to stay calm. He had to be a soldier, a man who could think rationally even with a gun to his head. He ran over his options for escaping. There were none. He whined, and opened his palms. He pinched his thigh and tried to pull the skin away from his body. Of course, it failed. That only made Otabek even angrier. As soon as somebody entered his room, they would answer his questions. Even if he had no way of making them. 

He was left waiting for hours, in which his wrists and ankles had plenty of time to grate against the handcuffs and start to bleed. He had learned that there was no good way to hold himself so that the wounds were spared from worsening. He was slowly starting to regain energy and warmth, although every movement of his right arm made his entire right half burn. He decided that all he needed was for someone to walk into the room. When someone did happen to enter the room, his stomach was growling loudly. His eyes flew open at the sound of a rustling curtain. He looked to the right, and saw a man in a white lab coat and a Looney Tunes tie walking into his room with a clipboard. 

The man walked across the room to the counter, and began to move the tools around. Otabek couldn't see what he was doing, though, even as he craned his neck and strained his eyes. He watched the man’s back for a couple more minutes before deciding to return his head to a regular position and only look up when he needed to. He was waiting for a long time before the man left the counter and walked back to the curtain. When he was directly in front of Otabek’s table, the boy took his turn to speak. 

“Who are you? Where am I?” The man jumped, and pushed a pair of old-fashioned glasses further up his nose. 

“Oh,” He said, sounding flustered, “You’re awake.” The man bustled back to the counter. 

“What the hell- Where am I?” Otabek tried again. The man looked over his shoulder, and then turned all the way around. He was gripping the counter with a white knuckled grip as he stared at Otabek. 

“I-I’m sorry…Y-You’re in one of the labs at the Sabine Foundation. I-I’m your doctor.” Otabek turned his head to one side. 

“What’s the Sabine Foundation?” He asked. The doctor looked down. 

“We seek to make magic accessible to all people, not just those born with the gift,” He said. Otabek’s first thought was that there was hope for him. His second thought was that making magic accessible to everyone was locking up Mages. If it was hurting people like his sister, he didn't want to help the people in charge.

“How?” He asked. He began to sweat. The doctor pushed his glasses up his nose again. 

“W-We take some of the magic and put it in a human,” He said. Otabek nodded. 

“But I’m not a Magus,” He said cautiously, “I’m just as human as you are. So…what am I doing here?” The doctor looked up from the ground, and shook his head. Otabek frowned, and bit the inside of his bottom lip. There was no way the doctor was right. Ever since he was a kid, his parents had told him that he would never be able to bend the rules of the world. He used to think it was because he wasn't good enough. He knew now that some were born without the same abilities and gifts as others. There was never anything he could have done to give himself the same abilities as his sister and Yuri. 

“You’re actually not human,” The doctor said, “You, um, you’re not a Magus either. You’re in between. A half-blood.” 

“But I’m not…” Otabek trailed off. Did this mean that he could do magic? Was he a Magus after all, or was he a human? Of course, he had always known that he wasn't like other Mages. Normal Magus children started to show signs of their abilities before they were in kindergarten. Otabek was eighteen and hadn't proven himself to be anything other than a regular Joe. 

“W-We think you’re special,” The doctor said, “We think all half-bloods are special. Blood is special in general, more than you might think actually- I’m, I’m rambling. I’m sorry, I’m not supposed to be talking…” The doctor bit his bottom lip. 

“Fuck,” He mumbled, “I have to go.” And the doctor scrambled away from the counter. He ran across the room and disappeared behind the curtain with a series of loud and flamboyant flapping noises. Otabek banged his head against the table again, although this time it was with a dawning sense of trepidation rather than frustration or emotional anguish. The conversation with the doctor hadn't answered the questions that he had had, at least, not very well, but he sure had made Otabek a hell of a lot more confused and curious. He had no idea what he was even going to ask next time someone came along. Then again, maybe he shouldn't ask anything. He should probably donate all of his time and effort to escaping, and then, eventually, to finding Yuri and helping him get out of the cell he was stuck in. 

Otabek banged his head against the table again at the thought of Yuri. It had been his job to enter the warehouse at such a time that he would be able to kill the men guarding Yuri’s cell, so that the boy and his brother could get into a space without iron and then Melt at their maximum potential. Otabek couldn't tell how much time had passed since he was stopped, but he did know that Yuri had most certainly not been able to Melt away without getting hurt by one of the guards. 

“Fuck,” Otabek said. He stared up at the fluorescent light bulbs that lined the ceiling until colorful splotches appeared across his vision. Even though he knew that Yuri would never hear him, he sent his thoughts to the boy.  _ I’m afraid. This is so much more than we had ever thought would happen. If I hadn't left the mainland, if I hadn't written my number on the back of the receipt, if I had never texted you back or gone with you to Jordan Pond…None of this would have ever happened. I’m so sorry that this happened to you, Yura. You don't deserve any of it. But hey, we’re here now, and when you think about ‘What if’, you die. I’m going to get out of here, Yura, and I’m going to find you. And then let’s hit the road. _ Otabek kept his eyes closed. Or at least, he would have done so without certain complications…

 

* * *

 

Yuri got lucky. He was back in his cell, slumped against the wall. His head was clear, though, and he could feel the Veil all around him. It was making goosebumps appear on his skin. He thought that this must have been how supercomputers worked. His senses and his mind were working in triple time. If the Hunters at the warehouse had thought that he was helpless and crying into his hands, then they were dead fucking wrong. He was casting his mind out across the entire warehouse to see the soul of every living thing within its walls. There were seven hundred and fifty six Mages currently inside the warehouse, as well as thirty three Hunters. Yuri was impressed that so few people had managed to do all of this, and he would have admired them, were it not for the fact that they were kidnapping, imprisoning, and killing off his species. 

Yuri had been working on a map of the warehouse- He was looking at the way different souls clumped together to figure out where the rooms and hallways were. Most of the Mages were still, clumped together in squares. They made up a sort of grid system. Yuri’s heart ached for all of the young children who were crying, both from terror and from the blisters on their ironclad wrists that were constantly threatening to break open. He had wanted to vomit upon the realization that he was one of the oldest Mages in the building. 

His stomach felt like it was full of lead when he learned that his cell happened to be very close to the area with the highest general concentration of Hunters. While he was looking at that, he noticed something so small that he definitely would have missed it if he had been just a little less precise: Among the Hunters was Otabek’s soul. Yuri refused to let himself think that Otabek could have been a Hunter. The longer he thought about it, however, the more sense it made.  _ No _ , he said to himself,  _ If he was a Hunter, I would know. _

He tried instead to focus on all of the other possibilities, and get back to his plans. He refused to communicate with Aliya, though. She would never agree with what he wanted to do. He wasn't even sure he agreed with his plan. However, some risks had to be taken. Yuri spent a couple more hours planning before he finally gave in. The first half of his idea was a stroke of genius- Absolutely foolproof. Anything that could fuck it up was impossible. The second half would get him killed. So he let Aliya into his mind. He tried to turn himself into her, thinking the way she did. If his brainwaves mimicked hers, their minds would find each other, and they would be able to think on the exact same wavelength. The only issue Yuri found with the situation was their shared conscious thought. Any sort of filter between them was practically nonexistent. 

“ _ What the fuck is wrong with you, Yura?! _ ” Her voice shouted when they made contact. It was hard for her to sound angry, even though he could feel the desperation in her tone. Her voice sounded the way light shining off a swimming pool looked. “ _ And stop laughing at my voice. You know that yours sounds exactly the fucking same. _ ” 

“ _ You’ve got me there, _ ” He said, “ _ Since you already know what I want to do…Any ideas? _ ” She didn't have any, until she broke away for a moment and then returned. 

“ _ Victor says that we should… _ ” Kill everyone, Aliya thought. Yuri did a double take when he looked at what she was thinking about. 

“ _ That’s fucking insane and it might just work, _ ” He told her. She shook her head. 

“ _ I don't care how talented we are, there’s no way the three of us can do something like that. A-And there’s so many people inside, Yura, how are we going to get them out in time? We can't. _ ” 

“ _ But we can! J-Just give me some time…” _ Aliya was shaking her head and holding her head in her hands. 

_ “It’s too dangerous!” _ She yelled.

_ “I won't take long. I’ll tell you when I’m ready,” _ Yuri said, and then she was out of his head. He felt strange, like he had something between his teeth despite having flossed recently. He brushed it off as a side effect of telepathic communication. He set his plan in motion. He unlocked all of the iron handcuffs in the building, overjoyed at the happiness he could feel from the rest of the Mages. Some began to Melt out right away, but others stuck around. Yuri could only imagine what they felt like. It made his skin crawl to think about being imprisoned like they had. It might have even been dangerous to the Mages- They would likely experience a sensory overload once the iron stopped touching their bodies, causing any magic to become less defined and more likely to go disastrously wrong. Yuri knew what he would do if he was in their shoes, though- Melt the fuck back to Bar Harbor. 

Once he had gone through the tedious process of unlocking the handcuffs around the wrists of every single Magus in the building, he turned his attention to the Hunters. They were confused, and some were trying to keep the Mages submissive. Most of the Mages were fighting back, although Yuri had to laugh when he saw the Mages throwing all they had at the Hunters and then Melting away. There was one man with an ear growing out of his nose, and another with a dick for a beard. Some of the Hunters were blinded, others were left deaf or mute. It was a beautifully cathartic scene that filled Yuri’s chest with a balloon of hope. 

Now that a majority of the Hunters were distracted, Yuri zeroed in on Otabek’s soul. He could almost reach the same wavelength as the man. However, the two of them belonged to different species and telepathic communication was rendered impossible. Yuri took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he was standing in a room that was painted a soothing shade of blue. There was a table in the center, which Yuri found to be much more important than the color of the walls. Otabek was laying on the table, his wrists and ankles cuffed to the surface. The pair noticed each other almost instantaneously. As soon as Yuri’s gaze dropped to the handcuffs, they flew open and across the room, leaving deep gouges in the floor. Otabek sat up, wincing slightly, and threw his arms around Yuri. An airy gasp left Yuri’s throat. His entire torso was on fire. His shoulder blades must have been erupting in blisters by now, as they were where Otabek’s hands were resting. Yuri was standing straight and stable for the first time since he entered the warehouse. He relished in the feeling, and closed his eyes. He leaned a little further into Otabek, and pulled the boy closer. 

“Are you okay?” Otabek asked softly. He spoke into the muscle connecting Yuri’s head to his neck. Yuri tried to suppress the shiver that ran through his body, but he was still certain that Otabek could feel him shaking. He nodded, and moved his hands further up Otabek’s back. His palms were just barely touching skin. His hands were tense, like it was the first time he had hugged Otabek and he was trying not to overstep any boundaries. 

“I’m fine,” Yuri said breathlessly, “What about you?” He pushed himself away from Otabek. He ignored how thin the boy was, and instead opted to look at his right elbow. 

“Cold,” Otabek said, “The price of shirtlessness, I guess.” Yuri exhaled heavily through his nose. His eyes were still fixed on Otabek’s elbow. Half of his arm was bruised, starting around the elbow. The elbow itself was wrapped in gauze. 

“What the hell happened to you, Otabek?” He asked. Otabek gave a crooked grin. 

“I told you that my life was like an action movie. After the action is done, I’ll tell you anything you want to know.” Yuri frowned. 

“Come on, Beka-” He stopped talking when he heard the sound of heavy footsteps steadily growing nearer. Otabek perked up, like a frightened meerkat. 

“Shit,” Otabek whispered, “We have to leave!” He slid off the table. He nearly fell down when he stood feely. He groaned, and pressed his palm into the table for a moment. 

“Are you okay with Melting?” Yuri asked. Otabek nodded. 

“Y-Yeah,” He said softly, “We need to get to Liya.” Yuri nodded, and closed his eyes for a moment. He looked for her exact location. She was just outside the building, hiding in the tree line of a forest. Every muscle in her body was clenched, and her heartbeat was loud and lonely in her head. Yuri opened his eyes. Before he could move, the curtain that separated the halves of the room was thrust aside and in walked a man in a lab coat. Yuri glared, and pulled Otabek into his chest. His vision went blurry for a moment. After it returned, he was surrounded by lush, golden greens and intense sepia browns. He held onto Otabek for another moment before turning around, looking for Aliya. He shouted brokenly when he saw her, staring at the building with one hand on a tree next to her, as though she were using it for balance. 

“Aliya!” She whipped her head around to face him, and her hand fell away from the tree. 

“Yuri,” She gasped, “Did you see Victor?” Yuri shook his head. 

“Son of a bitch left me behind.” 

“He just went back in there,” She said, “Fuck.” She ran her hands through her hair, and then noticed Otabek. He was sitting against a tree, panting and holding his biceps. He was staring at the ground with a blank look on his face. 

“Beka,” Aliya whispered, and she took three steps before she landed on her knees and threw her arms around him. She hugged him like she would never see him again. “What happened to you?” She whispered. Otabek shrugged. His eyes were still unfocused. It was beginning to frighten Yuri. 

“I got caught. The Hunters tried to hurt me, but I’m okay now.” She pressed their foreheads together for a second, before rocking back to squat on the balls of her feet. She swiveled so that she was facing both Yuri and Otabek. 

“What do we do now?” She asked. Yuri shrugged, and squatted down himself. With his elbows resting on his thighs, he started to talk. 

“If you’re worried about Victor, you’re wasting your energy. He’s fine, Liya. He’ll find a way out.” Aliya shuddered. 

“It’s been too long, though. He went in there to find you, Yuri. It was when you were still freeing the imprisoned Mages. You’re out of the building now, though. If Victor is anything like me, he can see your soul right now. He knows that you escaped, so where the fuck is he?” Her eyes were wide, and her forehead was wrinkling just a little bit. Her face was stuck in a tight lipped frown, and she was even leaning towards him a little bit as if to challenge him. As if by doing so, she would suddenly become correct, and Victor would suddenly be in need of rescue. 

“Okay,” Yuri said slowly, “He left me eleven years ago. I was always told that he was homeless. But he’s not. He was able to make his way from an eighteen year old with no money and no plan into a man with a job and a boyfriend. If he can make his way from there to where he is now, then he can handle a couple Hunters.” Aliya bit her bottom lip. 

“I have a bad feeling about this, Yuri.” 

“I have an idea,” Otabek said softly. Both of their heads turned to face him. Both faces looked as though they had just been informed that up was actually down and that green had been secretly red all along. “We should go back to the inn. If we still have no contact with Victor by morning, we start to worry. By noon, we come back and look for him.” Aliya nodded. She ran her hand from her forehead to her occiput, as though she were smoothing back her hair. There was, in fact, nothing to smooth out. Her hair was neatly braided into a bun. 

“Alright,” She said softly, and grabbed a hand from each of the boys. She closed her eyes, and a second later, they were on the floor of the current Altin residence. As soon as they were there, Aliya was on her feet. She grabbed her notebook out of her backpack and began to record everything that had just transpired. Meanwhile, Yuri had fallen back onto his tailbone when they arrived and was just sitting up when he heard the sound of a backpack unzipping. He shifted his weight around until it was evenly distributed. 

He turned his gaze to Otabek. He was laying on his back, staring at the ceiling, with his arms clasped above his head. Yuri couldn't tell what he was feeling when he stared down at his friend. He looked so blank, as if he had seen something nobody was ever meant to see. Yuri’s first instinct was to scream with joy and tackle him in a tight embrace. Of course, he would never act on that instinct. He would likely hurt Otabek if he tried such a thing. Instead, he edged closer, doubting himself with every slight shift of his hips. 

“Are you cold?” He asked. Otabek nodded. 

“Incredibly.” 

“Do you have a spare shirt?” Yuri asked, leaning over Otabek. His chest was on fire, and he had never been more glad for the veil that his hair created when it fell down around his face. 

“Yeah,” Otabek said. Yuri didn't see how he spread his fingers wide and pressed harder into the floor. If he had, he certainly would have backed up. Instead, Otabek sat up and bumped his forehead into Yuri’s. Yuri fell back, and hissed. He clutched a red spot on his forehead. 

“Ow,” He mumbled. Otabek smiled. 

“Oh, how I have missed you,” He said, and used one of the beds to help himself get off the ground. He panted slightly when he was standing, and then plopped down on the bed. He scanned the room until he saw his backpack. Yuri stood up now, and waited for Otabek to follow suit. He seemed to be struggling, as he grunted and rose sluggishly. It was like he was trying to prove a point by moving in slow-motion. When he was finally standing, he trudged over to his backpack with a slouch that would make even Yuri’s back ache, and unzipped a pocket. He rooted around for a bit, and then pulled out a black Adidas hoodie. He slid the sweatshirt on, and then dug around a little more. He pulled out a pair of wool socks, and slid them onto his feet. Once he was done re-dressing, he walked back to the bed and laid down. He made a loud, broken noise when he did. It was almost obscene, and almost had Yuri blushing. 

“Are you okay?” Yuri asked. Otabek shrugged. 

“I am incredibly fucking exhausted, Yura.” Yuri nodded, and began to play with the hem of his shirt. 

“If you need anything-” He said, turning towards to door of the room. However, before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Otabek. 

“What do you mean?” 

“I’m going out. T-To give you some time to recover.” Otabek shook his head frantically. 

“You don't even have a phone!”

“I have an Aliya,” Yuri said. She clicked her tongue in response, although it was lost in the loud clacking of the laptop keyboard. Otabek shook his head again. 

“I would really prefer it if you stayed here.” Yuri’s heart swelled. He was thankful that he didn't have to make up an excuse to leave. The entire scene felt far too intimate to him. He was an outsider, and this was how Otabek and Aliya lived their lives. They were so much tougher than him, he realized. He didn't care, though, and took a run up before diving onto the bed with Otabek. The boy groaned, but still smiled softly. He moved some hair out of his face, and then looped an arm around Yuri. Yuri shivered, and pressed his elbows into his palms. He shifted until he was looking straight at Otabek. 

“So…What happened to you?” He asked. Every muscle in his body was tensed, and he knew that Otabek could feel it, but he still pretended that it was a secret that only he knew. Otabek sighed, and shifted one of his legs closer to Yuri. 

“I was trying to follow the plan- Knock out the guards so that you and Victor wouldn't get captured right away as soon as you left the iron room. I got caught before I made it there. And I was the one who was knocked out.” He paused to brush some of Yuri’s hair away from his forehead. “I woke up where you found me. My right elbow hurt- Still does hurt- and a doctor came in. He told me that I’m special because I’m not a Magus or a human. If only the rest of the world saw it that way.” He was quiet for a moment, staring at the paisley wallpaper. 

“Total bullshit. But, um, then he left. I tried to go to sleep, but…The doctor came back. He brought Hunters with him this time, and they took a brain scan of me. They did something weird, something magic. They put an image in my head. It was an image of their leader’s daughter. She’s six years old, and lives with her father in Indianapolis. But they didn't say anything. A-And I don't understand, it should have been impossible. Everybody in that room was a human, and somehow, we managed to access the Veil.” A shiver ran down Yuri’s spine. He remembered now what Yakov had said to him before he was kidnapped:  _ I fear that they have learned how to locate us, either with technology or a learned method to harnessing our powers. _ If Yakov was right, it spelled disaster for every soul who knew that magic was more than a fantasy. 

“After that, all but one of the Hunters left. The doctor stayed, though, and he took more blood from my right arm. Do I look pale to you, Yura? He filled an entire container, this big-” Otabek motioned with his hands, and Yuri’s eyes flew wide. That must have been a quarter of a gallon! “-and then took it over to a microscope. He narrated what he was doing to the only Hunter who stayed in the room. He was studying my blood, Yura. Looking at my stem cells, and then comparing my blood to a human sample. I could barely stay awake. I felt like I was dying of hypothermia. Then the doctor and the Hunter left, and you know the rest.” Yuri blinked. He had no idea what the hell he was supposed to say in response to that. Instead of speaking, he shifted onto his side and put one arm across Otabek’s chest, looping the other around the back of his neck. He clasped his own hands, and kissed Otabek’s cheek. He swore it meant nothing. That was before he pulled his lips away. 

“You’re okay now. You’re safe.” Otabek shook his head, and turned to face Yuri. Their noses bumped, and Yuri was suddenly incredibly inclined to connect their mouths. He refused to let the idea take hold. Otabek didn't need him to be a needy creep right now. What he needed was for Yuri to be supportive. 

“I wish that were true,” Otabek said softly. His eyes dropped to Yuri’s lips. His heart started to pound. It was similar to how he had felt when they had gone to the club- The music was loud enough to consume everything, and he felt each pulsing drumbeat throughout his entire body. 

“You are safe,” Yuri whispered. Otabek raised an eyebrow. 

“Liya is right to have a bad feeling about what’s going on. This isn't some fun romp to put on your Snapchat story and then forget about the next day. S-Something really bad is happening here.” Yuri groaned loudly, and tugged on his hair with one hand. 

“But we got away! They might come looking for us, but we have the advantage! They don't even know where we would go!” Yuri said. 

“Out of the question,” Aliya said from behind the laptop screen. She didn't even look up. “We are waiting for Victor, and if we don't know where he is by morning, then we are going back to look for him.” Otabek nodded. 

“We really should stay. And that’s what’s going to wind up fucking us.” Yuri sighed, and threw one of his legs over Otabek’s. He stared at their feet- His dirty white Vans on either side of Otabek’s black wool socks. There was something oddly reassuring about it. Like everything was going to be okay. 

“Fine,” He said, “Can we get dinner? They didn't feed us in there.” Otabek sat up a little straighter. 

“Go. My wallet-” His face went pale and he mumbled ‘shit’ under his breath. “We need to add my leather jacket to the Victor rescue mission,” He mumbled, and then looked over at Aliya. “Liya, can Yuri have ten dollars?” She nodded. 

“My wallet is in the right pocket of my leather jacket.” Her head snapped up from the computer screen, and she glared at Yuri while she spoke. “You be careful not to hurt yourself. Also, I want a burger. Don't put too much bullshit on it, and Beka will have a salad and then a shit ton of french fries to balance it out. Capisce?” Yuri nodded. He took one final look at Otabek.  _ What the hell, _ he decided, and turned Otabek’s face towards him again. He pressed their foreheads together for a moment. He couldn't help himself from looking down at Otabek’s lips. They were parted slightly, and there were bits of skin that were peeling off. He could think of a whole manner of things that those lips could do. The first thing on his list was for them to press up against his own chapped, pink mouth. Yuri’s heart skipped a beat. He could totally do this. He leaned down and kissed Otabek’s forehead. 

He was off the bed and pulling Aliya’s wallet out of her pocket before Otabek could even react. He took one of the room keys, and then ran out the door. He kept running until he had left the inn, and then shoved the wallet and key into his back pocket. He ran his hands through his hair, and took his sweet ass time walking around and looking for a cheap fast food restaurant. He couldn't stop thinking about what he had done. He had chickened out. The thought of what would have happened if he had been able to do it still plagued his mind even after he had the food. The bag swung at his side, knocking against his leg every so often. If only he was good enough to kiss Otabek, he thought. He pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes before going back to Aliya and Otabek. He turned on the TV, and was pleased when he could find Disney Channel reruns from the two thousands. He educated Otabek on everything that he had missed, until they fell asleep entwined with each other. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all, what did you think of that chapter? I thought that it was super fun to write, but I decided to cut it in half so that it wouldn't be like 30 pages. If you liked it, please leave a kudos or a comment telling me what you thought. They mean a lot to me. 
> 
> Anyway, the next few weeks are going to be super busy for me, so the next update might be a little bit slow. But the teachers in my school district are going on strike soon, so it also might be very fast. Thank you all for reading! 
> 
> tumblr: paraduxkys


	11. ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey yall so this chapter is pretty long, 9.6k, but it's okay i suppose? Also ahhh it's the last chapter!!! I'm so excited! 
> 
> (also dont worry, there will be another installment in this series coming out in about a week. If you're confused about anything that happened in the end of this part of the story, everything will probably be resolved in the first chapter or two of the next segment.)

Chapter 10

 

Yuri looked down at his McDonald’s hash brown as if it was going to read his fortune. He turned the packaging over, trying not to look at the grease stains on the paper. He pressed his cold, white knuckles to the burning paper for a moment before he took a nibble. It was much better than he had expected it to be. It was greasy and salty, and after a couple bites, he began to devour it. Once it was gone, he reached for another, but Aliya shook her head.

“You might have to do a lot of running today, Yuri,” She warned. He began to pull his hand away from the dwindling pile of McDonald’s takeout that they had bought and taken to the forest next to the warehouse. Otabek reached into the pile and took out two hash browns.

“How come he can eat them but I can't?” Yuri whined. Aliya huffed, and smacked her notebook with her pencil eraser.

“Because,” She said, “He’s not going to be doing anything until later. And because of what the Hunters did to him.” Otabek shrugged, red coming into his cheeks. He tore one hash brown in half, and handed it to Yuri. Yuri smiled at him, and took the hash brown. His heart skipped beat when their fingers touched. He continued to look at Otabek even after they broke their eye contact. It was like staring into a void. If only the void always took on the form of someone beautiful.

He wrenched his eyes away and looked back at Aliya. She was explaining the plan once again. Yuri understood already. He had understood since six am, when she had shaken him awake and informed him that Victor had yet to make contact. Yuri was going to kill his brother if he had gotten away safely and wasn't making contact just because he had forgotten. If that was the case, then they were risking their lives for nothing. He sighed, and tried to focus on the diagram Aliya was drawing on her notebook.

“I will be standing here, at the edge of the forest. I’ll actually probably be in a tree or something, though. I will bring all of the oxygen molecules out of the building. Yuri, you go in once some of the Hunters have come outside. And then you find Victor. Get him away from whatever iron he’s touching and Melt back out here. And then, we all Melt back to the inn. We get our things and then we Melt back to Bar Harbor. Understand?” She said, looking between Otabek and Yuri. Neither of them said anything, and she looked back down at her notebook.

“Fantastic. Otabek, did you get the rope?” She asked. He pulled a large spool of twine out of his hoodie pocket. She smiled, and then shrugged off her leather jacket. She spread it out so that her knives and ninja stars and her gun were all visible. She observed them all for a moment before selecting three long, thin blades and handing them to Yuri.

“Yuri,” She said slowly, “These are for you. Do not throw them. I don't care if the guy draws a target on his chest, just don't throw them. You don't know how, and frankly, I don't trust you not to lose them.” She showed him the correct grip for stabbing, and he was disturbed by the joy he felt when she praised him. He practiced fighting against a tree for a moment before Aliya took his knife away. She said that he would break it before the time came, and that she couldn't give him any more knives. She was good at knives, and needed all she could get. Plus, they were ridiculously expensive.

Yuri didn't have a leather jacket to put his knives in, though, so he had to get creative. He stuck one of them through his pocket so that the handle was concealed but the blade poked out over the top of his thigh. He thought it looked rather badass, but Aliya warned him that it wasn't practical. Instead of letting him worry about how he was going to carry the knives, she taught him how to walk so that his footsteps were silent. After a couple minutes, she stopped him.

“You need to stop trapping the sound waves in the Veil,” She said.

“The whole point is to walk silently. And guess what the fuck I’m doing,” Yuri responded tersely, prancing around in a bush. None of the raucous noise reached Aliya’s eardrums.

“The Veil isn't supposed to be part of the equation. Whenever I show you something, its something that applies to both humans and Mages. You never know when you’ll be touching iron, so you need to be prepared.” Yuri practiced for a couple more minutes before Aliya stopped him.  

“It will have to do,” She sighed, “If you’re ready, we can start now.”

“O-Okay,” He said. He swallowed. His mouth was dry and his throat ached. All that he accomplished was an even worse feeling.

“Good luck,” Aliya said, and clapped him on the back. He nodded.

“Good luck, Liya.” She rolled her eyes, but floated the three knives back to Yuri and then ran off towards the edge of the forest. Yuri sighed again, staring at his knives. How the fuck was he even supposed to transport them? He followed Aliya’s path, and made it to the tree line just in time to see her disappearing up an ancient elm. Otabek was laying on his stomach at the bottom of the tree. Yuri set his knives down and sat down next to his friend. He dropped a hand to rest on the small of his back. Otabek’s head shot up, his eyes wide and alert. His muscles tensed, but then relaxed once he saw that it was Yuri.

“Hi,” He said softly, and wriggled around until he was facing Yuri. “I made you this.” He handed Yuri a thin rope that was made out of grass. He had tied it in a thick and elaborate knot, and left a couple inches of the cord on one side. “You can tie it to a belt loop, and stick your knives in it.” Yuri nearly felt tears spring into his eyes.

“Thank you,” He said, and turned the knot over in his hands to observe it. He couldn't tell where one section of the rope ended and another began. He tugged on both ends. The rope seemed to be sturdy. It refused to fall apart in his hands. Then again, what did he know about the strength of rope? “It’s wonderful.” Otabek smiled, and pushed himself off of his stomach. He shifted into a sitting position.

“I’m glad you like it,” Otabek said softly. Yuri smiled, and picked up one of the knives. He found a space in the knot, and slid the blade of the knife through it. He could imagine swinging it around like a flail mace. He pushed the idea out of his mind, though. It would be sure to fail if he tried to use the knot for anything other than its intended purpose.

“It’s really cool,” Yuri said, “How did you even make this?” Otabek flushed softly, and then picked up one of Yuri’s knives. He crawled out of the tree line, and grabbed a handful of tall grass. He cut the grass from the ground in the same way a farmer would use a scythe to harvest wheat. He crawled back to Yuri. Yuri’s heart rate spiked when Otabek flippantly let the knife slide out of his palm and bounce from his thigh to the ground. The blade pointed towards Otabek.

“So,” Otabek said, “First you get the grass and hold it like this.” He had separated the grass clump into two bundles, and then flipped one of them so that the tips of the grass were sticking out of both sides of the bundle. He continued to follow his won instructions on the grass. “Then tie a knot at one end. It doesn't have to be anything special, just something basic, like how you’d tie your shoe. Now, you want to separate it into two bundles again, and just twist them together until they form, like, a braid-looking thing. Its not that complicated.” He handed the beginning of the rope to Yuri. “You try.” Yuri bit his lip, but accepted the offer. He was able to make about half a foot of rope before he ran out of grass. He smiled when he did, and per Otabek’s instruction, tied a knot at the other end.

“Here,” He said, and gave Otabek the small, loose piece of rope. Otabek smiled, and before he accepted the rope, held Yuri’s hands in both of his.

“Thank you,” He said softly. He stared blankly into Yuri’s eyes for a couple more minutes before he slid his hands back to himself, snagging the rope and bringing it with him. His cheeks were full as he smiled down at the rope. He was practically glowing. Yuri wondered if he knew how soft, how safe and unguarded he looked.

“You’re fucking amazing, did you know that?” Yuri asked. He paused, and continued to stare at Otabek. He was still looking down at the grass rope, fingering it gently. Yuri didn't know if he was supposed to say anything else. He decided that he was when Otabek failed to respond. Besides, he had a high chance of dying today. That was practically an open invitation to speak his mind. So he removed the filter between his mind and his mouth. “You’re so cool and funny and talented, and you’re so fucking beautiful right now. You’re a male model without the unnecessary pizzaz”

“I love you,” Otabek said abruptly. His head jerked up, and he looked Yuri square in the face. Yuri swallowed heavily. He had no idea what to say. Jesse was the only person who had ever said that he loved Yuri, and it had all been a lie. A lie, a coin dropped into a machine until sex fell out. But Otabek wasn't like Jesse. He was kind, and he cared about Yuri enough to drive halfway across America to save him.

“L-Love?” Yuri asked hoarsely. His throat was burning as he asked the question. He was choking, and yet his esophagus was empty. Otabek’s face instantly flushed a bright red, and he clapped one hand over his mouth. His dark eyes were wide as he continued to stare at Yuri. He pulled his hair flat against his scalp with his other hand.

“Fuck, I’m so sorry,” Otabek choked out, and stood up. He leaned against Aliya’s tree, facing away from Yuri. Yuri struggled to rise to his feet in the strange daze he found himself stuck in. It was as though each of his limbs had fallen so deeply asleep that any movement felt impossible. Even so, he struggled to his feet. He took a step closer to Otabek, and put a hand on his shoulder. Otabek tensed up, but still refused to turn around.

“You didn't do anything wrong,” Yuri said softly, “Wasn't it a compliment?” He rose onto his toes and leaned forward so that he could hook his chin over the top of Otabek’s head. He draped his arms loosely around Otabek’s shoulders, before being thrown slightly when the man turned around to face him. Yuri fell back onto his heels. He stared down into Otabek’s eyes. They were dark mirrors.

“I’m sorry,” He said softly, “I said that way too early, a-and now its creepy, and-”

“Shut up,” Yuri said, “I’m not mad at you for something stupid like that.” Otabek’s eyes were downcast, and he was still for a moment before he rose to the balls of his feet. His heels were barely off the ground.

“Am I allowed to be blunt?” Otabek asked, playing with the hem of his shirt. Yuri nodded.

“I don't care,” He said. He supposed that was a lie. He cared very deeply about certain outcomes of the conversation, although there were others for which he couldn't care less. There were too few of the latter, though, for him to acknowledge the likelihood of one of them being true.

“Okay,” Otabek said. He wobbled slightly, and gripped Yuri’s forearms as if doing so would save his life. “What I said was true. Now that you know, it can never be taken back. So…Please stay with me until its time for you to go inside.” Yuri nodded.

“Of course,” He said. Otabek beamed. He reached up behind Yuri’s head and grabbed the back of his neck. He gently tugged Yuri’s head down, and then kissed the boy’s cheek when he could reach. Yuri froze, and he swore that his cheek began to throb. He wanted to shove Otabek against a tree and kiss him until his lips were swollen and he was hard in his pants. But then again, everybody wanted things they couldn't have.

Aliya was about to draw all of the air out of the building, which had good odds of going terribly wrong. It required so much energy and so much magic. She could very easily fry her brain in the process. So right now, she was doing warm ups. Without any idea of how long they would take.  

“Beka,” Yuri said quietly. Instead of kissing him, Yuri opted for a hug instead. It was unnaturally fast, although they did sit down together immediately after. Yuri let himself imagine that they were normal kids, on a normal date, and not about to do something that would likely kill several people. The further the ‘date’ progressed, the more tired Yuri grew. He hadn't been up at six am since June. He didn't know how he had done it every day during school. He laid his head on Otabek’s shoulder, and let his eyes slide shut.

He fell into a half sleep. He was aware of both reality and the dream world at the same time. He could feel the breeze flitting about through the forest, playing with his hair and chilling his skin. He could also see great fantasies that looked as though they belonged in a movie theater. With that thought, he bitterly acknowledged that his life was just as fantastical as what he was imagining. And it was about to become even crazier.

Yuri was shouted awake by Aliya. At first, her voice poked through reality and into his dream world. As soon as it poked through, however, a hole was made. Yuri was pulled through that hole and forced back into his real body. He blinked his eyes open, and rubbed the crust from the corners of his eyes. He was surprised that he had slept long enough for that to happen.

“Alright, alright, get up and stretch. I’m starting in a couple minutes,” She said, disappearing up her tree. Otabek tossed her the twine, and she caught it without even looking. Yuri looked away from the two of them as he stumbled blindly into wakefulness. Once he was fully awake, he decided to run around until he was summoned back to the tree line. Otabek was on the ground, leaning against a tree that was next to Aliya’s.

“Yura,” He said softly, “When you get inside, you have to be careful. Its really dangerous, especially for a Magus like you-”

“Otabek!” Aliya shouted from her tree. He looked down, flushing slightly.

“Right. You’ll have some time to find Victor, but it won't be a lot. At the absolute most, you have ten or so minutes. After that, we don't know how long you’ll have. Just try to be fast. A-And find my leather jacket if you can.”

“That’s a secondary concern,” Aliya shouted, “More importantly, you should take Victor to the inn when you leave. Its going to be a bloodbath out here, and you don't want to get shot or some shit before he’s safe. But you should definitely help us. Its two on thirty-three, and we need all the help we can get.” Yuri swallowed.

“Okay,” He said softly. He tied his knife-filled grass rope to one of his belt loops. He couldn't believe that he was actually about to do this. He knew how to fight, but he never thought he would need to. He supposed that the time had to come at some point. He turned to face Otabek. His nervousness must have been clear on his face.

“You’re going to be fine,” Otabek told him.

“You weren't fine!” Yuri protested. Otabek rolled his eyes.

“I didn't have backup. Or magic. You can do this. All it takes is the bravery to step out of the trees,” He said. Yuri shivered. He told himself that it was just because of the breeze.

“Okay,” He said softly, “I’m looking for Victor now.” He leaned against a tree, and closed his eyes. He couldn't see his brother inside the building. He told himself not to get frustrated. Victor had to be inside. They hadn't had any communication with him since the previous day. The only reasonable explanation was that Victor had been caught and forced into touching iron. He was probably wearing shackles or something. Yes, that had to be it.

Otabek nodded. He opened the backpack that Aliya had brought from the inn. He rooted around, and found several magazines of ammunition alongside an old fashioned hunting rifle that they had managed to hold onto for several years. Aliya had stolen it from Alain Leroy shortly after he had taken them in. The way she figured it, the better the gun, the more likely she was to survive. And she couldn't bring herself to trust someone she just met.

Otabek meticulously took apart the rifle and cleaned it with the hem of his hoodie. He put it back together, and then loaded a clip. He took the safety off, and then turned his head to look at Yuri. He was beaming so brilliantly. Yuri was just a little bit freaked out by the gun.

“Do I have something on my face?” Otabek asked, teasingly.

“Yeah, its called smugness,” Yuri panted, “Could you shut up now? Some of us are trying to concentrate.” Otabek nodded. He quickly climbed up a tree, and perched himself on one of the lower branches. He leaned forward, positioning himself and the rifle as though he were a sniper. Yuri wrenched his eyes shut, and focused on the defining features of Victor’s soul. He could sense something very faintly after a while, but it was nearly impossible to pinpoint the exact location. His fears had been confirmed- He would have to walk in. Of course, Aliya had planned for it. But Yuri had been hoping that he could simply Melt straight to his brother and free him. Unfortunately, it seemed that reality had some other ideas.

He nearly leapt out of his skin- And more importantly, the Veil- when he saw the first couple of Hunters crawling out of a broken window and collapsing on the ground, breathing like they had just sprinted a marathon. _Shit_ , he thought, _The window isn't an option._ Yuri shrugged it off. He would simply Melt back to the cell he had been kept in. However, as more and more Hunters started to pour from the window, his heart began to pound with trepidation. He refused to allow the negative thoughts to cross into his mind, though. He was going to be fine.

“Go in,” Otabek stage whispered. Yuri couldn't. He was frozen in place, stuck watching the Hunters get closer to the tree line. They were weak, yes, but several of them had guns. _Please be okay when I get back_. Yuri squeezed his eyes shut, and when he opened them, he was back in his cell. He grasped at the fleeing air molecules, and forced them to surround his head. He prayed that Aliya wouldn't take his air away.

Yuri opened the lock of the cell with his mind, and walked out. He wanted to run, but he figured that would take up too much precious oxygen. He walked closer to the soul- Hopefully Victor’s. He could feel himself beginning to breath more nervously, and more importantly, his oxygen running out. He was beginning to grow dizzy with the effort of keeping enough air around himself to stay safe.

Soon, Yuri was close enough to feel the wavelength of the soul. It was the soul of a Magus. The brainwaves were muted in comparison to what was normal. They weren't like Otabek’s, though. The frequency was between that of Otabek’s brainwaves and those of a normal Magus. Yuri reasoned that the wavelength was only muted because Victor must have been touching iron. Aside from the mutation of the wavelength, it was a perfect match for the ones Victor emitted. Yuri would be back in his brother’s company before he reached the end of the hallway.

Closed doors dotted the walls, and Yuri tried to look behind every single one on his search. None of them came up positive. He was starting to think that maybe it was time to stop limiting his checks to a couple of seconds when he nearly fell over. The strength of Victor’s soul had suddenly become overpowering. It was massive and threatened to blind his mind’s eye. It was behind a door that was two feet to the left. Yuri took a deep breath- He could worry about oxygen later- and forced the door open. He blinked in surprise upon seeing what he saw.

A tall woman with her hair dyed teal sat in the center of the room. She wore a series of bangles on her wrists that matched, as well as anklets that came halfway up her calves. Her olive skin was speckled with a bright orange dust. It was the same exact color as the gemstones. There was a healing wound on her left cheek. It would likely ooze blood if Yuri were to poke it.

“Hello,” She said softly, “Close the door. You’ll create a vacuum.” Before Yuri could respond, his shoes slid forward. He almost screamed, for he was not the one doing it. He managed to keep himself upright until he was inside the room. After that, the door slammed shut behind him. It was almost louder than his heartbeat. The woman’s face turned sour.

“You’re a Magus,” She growled, “Out with it- What have you come here for?” Yuri shook his head wildly, and began to scan the room. He was sure that Victor was in here. There wasn't even much for him to be hiding behind except for a desk. Of course, he couldn't look for his brother with the woman still in the room. She was probably a Hunter.

“I’m- I’m a what?” Yuri said. He figured that the best option was to lie. Unfortunately, he had gone with the worst lie possible. He cursed himself for thinking like a fool. “I’m on your side,” He tried again. The woman raised an eyebrow.

“You very well may be. But are you a Magus?” He shook his head.

“I’m a Hunter.”

“A what?” Yuri froze in his tracks. He hadn't thought to account for what Hunters called themselves. Perhaps Hunters were more creative than Mages when it came to naming things.

“I- I’m one of you,” He said. The woman turned her body so that she was facing him head on.

“What is my name?” She asked. Yuri swallowed. Instead of answering, he gathered more air for himself. He barely even noticed when she acknowledged him again, for he was too busy directing his attention towards Victor. She grabbed his wrist and yanked him over to the desk. He expected her to stop there, but instead, she tugged him further along. When he made his way around the desk, he was able to see a hole in the floor. Curiosity nearly overtook him as the woman climbed into the hole, and took him with her. The drop wasn't far. In fact, the area below the floor was more of a crawlspace than another level of the warehouse.

Yuri grew even more wary, and tried to shake his wrist free, but even as she crawled, the woman maintained an iron grip. She shifted when she reached a certain point. Yuri held his breath when she moved. He nearly screamed with excitement when her movement allowed him to see Victor. He was unconscious, with one of his wrists trapped by both sides of a pair of handcuffs.

Yuri was almost too busy in his celebration to notice the woman unlocking one of the cuffs from Victor’s wrist. She brought it over to clasp it around Yuri’s. Before she closed it, he yanked his hand back and held his wrist tenderly, as if it had been in a pot of boiling water. The woman glared at him, and he shifted his weight. He rocked back, holding himself up on his hands and his left leg. He made an attempt to kick the woman with his right leg, but she caught him pinned him down almost instantly. He willed her back into the room above. As soon as he thought it, it became a reality. Yuri scrambled back to his knees as soon as the weight above him vanished.

He stared down at the cuff around Victor’s wrist. He needed the key, and so he turned his head over one shoulder to see the woman crawling back towards him. He forced her body into the floor, just enough to make it painful for her. Yuri closed his eyes, and searched within the Veil for something made of metal. Something small and thin, with one rounded end. The long and thin portion would be jagged on one side. And likely made of iron. He willed the metal to come closer to him, for it to shoot into his hand.

He opened his eyes as soon as he felt the cool touch of metal. He broke his focus on the woman for just a moment as he turned around, but that was all it took. His fingers fumbled past each key. He needed more time! He couldn't find the right key if he was working this fast!

Before he could find it however, he felt hands grasping at the back of his shirt. He reached down to his hip, searching for the grass knot and his knives. He fumbled with the knot, his fingers useless sticks of meat. He was too busy struggling with the knot to fight back, and suddenly, the woman had him on his back with her forearm against his throat. Yuri gasped for air.

“Victor!” He shouted hoarsely, “Wake up!” Victor stirred him his sleep, giving Yuri a flicker of hope. He shouted wordlessly, and sent one knee up into the woman’s stomach. She wheezed, and he forced the orange bangles to fly away from his neck.

Yuri flailed onto his stomach, and ran his hands across the ground, searching blindly for the keyring. He grew desperate when he couldn't find it.

“Victor,” He screamed, shaking his brother’s arm, “Victor, you have to wake up!” He was grabbed by the woman again, and pulled away. She looped one arm around his throat, and the other around his stomach. His right arm was trapped by her elbow.

“You bitch!” He shouted, as she tugged him further away from Victor. He writhed and squirmed, doing everything he could in a desperate attempt to get away from her. She was pulling him away from his brother, he realized, and back towards the hole in the warehouse floor. He tried to bend down and bite her arm, but when he wasn't able to reach, he opted instead to scream his brother’s name one last time. His voice was sharp and filled with desperation as he was pulled up and out of the dark, wet crawl space.

Yuri shifted so that he could look at the woman, and sent her flying back again. He dove back into the crawl space, and then sent himself flying- Although he was actually skidding against the ground in a way that was quite painful to his knees. He dropped himself out of the air when he reached his brother. This time, Victor was awake, and patting along the ground with his hands. Yuri joined him in the frantic search for the keyring. As soon as he hooked his fingers inside the metal loop, the woman had dropped back into the crawl space.

“Hurry!” Victor urged, offering his wrist to Yuri. Yuri flipped through the keys, struggling to identify the right one in the low light. He finally touched upon the right one, and not a moment too soon. He was jerking the key in the lock on Victor’s cuff when the woman grabbed his shirt. He could hear stitches ripping as he was pulled roughly away from his brother. Victor threw the cuff away from himself. His eyes became bluer once he was free of the iron.

“Follow me!” Yuri shouted, and his surroundings went blurry for a moment before he found himself on the floor of their room at the inn. He shot to his feet, whirling his head around as he searched for Victor. “Damn it,” He muttered under his breath when he realized that he was alone. He took a breath, letting himself be surrounded by tranquility for a moment, and then Melted back to the crawlspace. It was empty, although he could hear loud yelling and crashes coming from above his head. His heart sank, and he Melted back into the room.

He was thrown against a wall as soon as his body materialised. He coughed, holding his ribs. His head spun, and even sitting up was an effort. Before he could even do that, however, he felt an incredible, Veil-hailing force against his chest, pushing him back into the wall. He swore he could hear the plywood behind him cracking. He blinked a couple of times until he could see and think clearly.

The woman was standing in the middle of the room. There was a look of intense concentration on her face. She held a small handgun, pointing it at a spot on the wall above Yuri’s head. He jerked his head up so hard it hurt.

Victor was pinned to the wall, three feet off the ground. Yuri could feel the brainwaves radiating from him. He was putting a lot of effort into fighting the force that had him against the wall- The same force that was driving Yuri into the wall, in fact- but he was unsuccessful. Yuri’s heart was struck with fear. What was so powerful that it could incapacitate his brother?

“It’s the woman,” Victor grunted, reading Yuri’s mind. Yuri whirled around. He held back from expressing his surprise, although just barely. He had to bite down on his thumb to stop himself from screaming. Yuri’s gaze shifted from his brother to the woman. She was still staring at Victor. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her face was covered in perspiration. The beads of sweat that had started to roll down the sides of her face carried the specks of orange that covered her body with them.

Yuri stepped into the Veil took a closer look. The woman’s brainwaves were far too high for her to be a normal human. His initial thought was that she was like Otabek, but their wavelengths were far too different for such a thing to be true. Her’s were much more like those of an ordinary human. In fact, she _was_ an ordinary human, just with a very active mind. What she was doing was impossible.

Yuri squinted at her, puzzled. Her body was completely normal. Her brain was a bit on the heavier side, as was her skull, but she was only releasing the brainwaves necessary to basic thought. He didn't understand. He looked up at Victor, searching for an answer. Victor would never let himself be pinned against the wall like that, especially not by a Hunter. He wasn't doing it, and he could tell that Victor wasn't either, so it had to be the woman. Yuri groaned internally. Another mystery.

“Where did you come from?” The woman asked, and Yuri nearly jumped out of his skin. He nearly shouted a profane expelative.

“I was born in Saint Petersburg. The one in Russia. I know you Americans have one of your own- In Florida, in fact! Bit of a bad place to put a Saint Petersburg if you ask me-” Victor broke off his rambling to shout in pain. Yuri rolled his eyes. He knew exactly what Victor was doing. He had been doing it since before Yuri could remember. He was stalling, in a style of his own. He tried to make a conversation out of everything when he did that. In this case, time was being wasted on Yuri’s behalf. He looked up at his brother. Even with his expression contorted in pain, he had a condescending look in his eyes.

“ _You need to leave, Yura,_ ” Victor’s voice echoed loudly against the walls of his skull. Of course Victor would try to have a telepathic conversation when he appeared to be in the middle of being on the receiving end of torture.

“ _I can't go without you,_ ” He told Victor. There was a nagging thought in the back of his head that told him to find Otabek’s leather jacket, but he ignored it. That was a task that could be saved for later.

“ _Please, Yurochka. I’m not important. Go find that jacket first. You’re in danger here._ ” Yuri cursed Victor’s ability to read his mind. Of course, he could do the exact same thing to Victor. When two Mages shared a telepathic communication, it created a sort of hallway between the two of them. And a hallway could be walked in either direction.

“ _No, you drama queen, this is a fucking rescue mission._ ” Victor giggled.

“ _I know._ ” Yuri groaned aloud this time. The woman shifted her gaze to him.

“You will shut up unless you want a bullet now rather than later,” She said, jerking the muzzle of her gun towards him. Yuri raised his hands in defeat, and then looked back up at Victor. He was elated to see that the man had dropped a couple inches.

“And you,” The woman said, her voice icy, “Where did you actually come from? Who told you to come in here?”

“Oh,” Victor struggled to say, “I told myself to come in here. See, my brother and his friend were stuck, and I wanted to save them. Casual do-goodery.”

“Shut up,” The woman groaned, “You know that I meant. Why did you come here initially? You were never brought back, so why are you here? Your kind hates our symbiosis.” Now Yuri had to stay. To say that Hunters and Mages had any sort of symbiosis was perhaps the most ludicrous thing he could think of. Their relationship consisted of the former killing off the latter, with the occasional reversal every now and then. It was so uncommon that Yuri and everyone he knew had only heard of such a thing.

“Chalk it up to your core philosophies and human nature,” Victor panted, and then grinned. It was enough to annoy Yuri. And he wasn't even on the receiving end. “Or rather, Magus nature. Curiosity always did kill the cat. You think you’re so smooth, but really, it was quite obvious that something was going on here when I arrived. Maybe that’s why you put me with the lures.” Yuri blinked. Now he was simply confused. What the hell was a lure, and how the had Victor been able to tell that something was going on here before he arrived?

Yuri suddenly felt a pit in the bottom of his stomach. He had formed a hypothesis as to what exactly a lure was: Something that attracted Mages. He would have protested that the lure hadn't worked on him, but he was privy to a certain realization before that could happen. Victor had been in a cell with the lures. Yuri had been put in the same cell as Victor. If the Hunters had known that the two of them were brothers, they never would have done such a thing. Yuri was a fucking lure. His skin crawled with disgust.

“That still doesn't explain who sent you,” The woman said. Victor shrugged.

“I sent me. I send me everywhere. I’m a brain, powering a six foot meat suit.” The woman growled, and took the safety off the gun. Yuri gasped loudly, and his eyes flew back to the woman.

“So are we all,” She said in response. Yuri noticed her elbow straightening out. He felt the push against his body lessen slightly, and followed her eyes. They were locked on Victor’s. Yuri’s brain had never moved faster as he connected the dots. The woman was about to shoot Victor. He hadn't known that he could do what he did until it was in the past.

He forced the power that was pushing him into the wall away just when the woman began to squeeze the trigger of the gun. Yuri forced her hand down just a bit. The bullet flew from the nose of the gun with a loud bang that would have his ears ringing for days. The bullet flew home into Victor’s thigh. He screamed out in pain, and fell away from the wall. Yuri smirked at the woman. _Not today, bitch_. Her eyes were comically wide, and her mouth was a near perfect circle.

In her moment of shock, Yuri floated the gun into his hand. He sent it flying up through the roof of the building, and off into the forest where nobody would ever find it. Now the woman looked at him, anger laced in her gaze.

“You bitch!” She shouted, and lunged at him. Yuri sidestepped, trying to remember what Aliya had taught him.

“Yura!” Victor yelled. Yuri looked over his shoulder at Victor. In his moment of distraction, he caught a fist to the stomach. He groaned, and fell back. “Get the jacket!” Yuri focused, and the jacket appeared around his body. He pulled a knife from the inside, and brandished it in front of him. The woman stopped her advances, and took a step back. The pair of them glared at each other, making tiny movements as they tried to intimidate each other. The look in Yuri’s eyes was feral.

“Yura, you need to get out! Get to safety. I’ll Melt you here myself if I need help,” Victor said.

“You sure?” Yuri asked, not breaking eye contact with the woman.

“I’m sure!” Victor said, “I have theories, and- Oh, whatever, just go to your friends.” Yuri nodded. He cast a quick look over his shoulder. Victor had his fists up. Yuri nodded, and he was back at the forest’s edge. He whirled around, looking for Aliya or Otabek. Instead, he came face to face with a Hunter. They wrapped their hands around his throat and squeezed. Yuri did the first thing he could think of. He stabbed their upper thigh with the knife he was still holding in a death grip. They whimpered, and fell away. They pressed their hands to the bleeding wound. While they were bent over, they were thrown backwards through the air into the field. Yuri nearly shat himself when he saw it.

The field was littered with Hunters. Some were standing, but most had already collapsed. Very few of them seemed to be bleeding, although they all looked like they were being forced into their positions. Yuri turned around to see Aliya.

She was leaning against a tree with one hand outstretched, and the other pressed into her side. It was in the center of a large, red stain on her shirt. She looked like a bucket of water had been poured over her head. Her skin was dangerously pale. There were huge, dark circles under her eyes. But perhaps the worst thing about the way she looked was a streak of silver in her hair. He hadn't known that too much magic could hurt you that badly. He just thought that you entered a death-adjacent coma once your brain burned out. He never thought that people suffered before that happened.

“Where the fuck is Victor?” She demanded hoarsely. Yuri felt himself flush.

“He’s still inside.” Aliya stepped away from the tree.

“He better be fucking dead,” She said, her voice like a knife.

“He’s alive,” Yuri told her, “He’s alive and fighting.” The look in Aliya’s eyes was full of a dark fire. She shifted her free hand slightly, and pointed two fingers at Yuri. His body was forced into the air, and he was pulled closer to Aliya.

“Did you know,” She said, “That both of us will die if I remove all electricity from your brain? Yeah, sucks that you can't use the Veil to kill without sacrificing yourself. However, _nothing_ will happen to me if I draw all of the oxygen out of your lungs and blood. If you can't tell me why you left him to die in there, that will be your fate.”

“He told me to!” Yuri shouted, “He said he would ask if he needed help!” Aliya chuckled darkly.

“That’s what we thought last time.” She floated Yuri up into the air, far above the tallest tree in the world. He was beginning to have a hard time breathing when he stopped rising. His ears were killing him, though, and he was shoving his hands in his armpits so that his fingers didn't snap off from the cold. He was glad that he was wearing Otabek’s jacket- Being up so high in just his tank top and shorts would have surely been a lot worse.

He floated there for a moment, with his heart beating faster than it ever had before. He felt every single one of his muscles tensing, although the most pain he felt was actually in his bladder. He was about to piss himself at twenty thousand feet.

And then he began to fall. He would have screamed, but the words were ripped from his mouth and anything he could have said was lost to the air rushing past at two hundred miles per hour. Yuri’s body tumbled and twisted, going through a routine fit for an Olympic gymnast before he even touched the clouds. Tears were pouring from his eyes. Even though he was moving faster than ever before, his mind was working fast enough to make the cloud layer feel minutes away. He couldn't even tell what he was feeling when his body shot through the clouds- Aside from very wet, that is. He was falling so quickly that he would be dry before he hit the ground.

If Yuri could be heard, one would hear him screaming as though his balls were being severed. He was about to go splat and fall through the entirety of a forest. His body wouldn't even be recognizable. He finally managed to close his eyes before it happened. _Goodbye, Victor. And Otabek. I never got to say it, but I love you. Or at least, really, really like you. Hit me up when you die, though. We can hit the road in the afterlife._ Yuri never did hit the ground, though. He felt himself slow down, and then he came to a complete stop. He felt no pain, although he could find no reason as to why he was not dead. He eventually did open his eyes, his lids shaking. He was so full of adrenaline he didn't know if he would be able to close them again.

Instead of Hell, he was floating in front of Aliya again.

“That was your warning. Are you afraid yet, fucker?” He whimpered when she took a step closer to him. “Good. We’re going back in there, because you can't seem to handle doing what I say!” She gripped his throat with her right hand, and turned to her left.

“Otabek!” She yelled. Yuri followed her gaze to see Otabek perched on one of the lower branches of a tree.

“Don't hurt him,” Otabek said lowly.

“I won't. Unless Victor’s dead, in which case-” She drew a line across her throat with her index finger. “Wanna come?” Otabek shrugged, but dropped from the tree anyway. He crossed the clearing and laced his fingers with Yuri’s. Yuri smiled at him, and then they were inside the building, just outside the room the woman had been in. There were loud noises coming from inside, and the three of them burst into the room, nearly falling over each other.

Victor was still standing, although he looked like he was on the brink of death. He was covered in blood, and spewing more out his mouth. The woman was in front of him, bouncing lightly on her feet. Her eyes darted over to Yuri for a moment before she sent an open palmed strike into Victor’s throat. He managed to block her arm, though. He slid in close to her and slid his arm behind her head. He grabbed her ponytail and yanked. She shouted in pain, and both of her hands came up to her head. Yuri sent the woman flying into the wall. Victor turned around, and his eyes went huge.

“Hello, Yurochka,” He said loudly, “And company.” He didn't notice the woman getting up, and positioning her hand like she was holding a gun. Sure enough, one materialized after a moment.

“What the fuck,” Aliya whispered, starstruck. Victor looked over his shoulder.

“Oh, yes, that- Well, you see, she’s-” He ducked down when she began to target him. One of Aliya’s hands shot out and the woman’s wrist snapped. She screamed in pain, and dropped the gun. She pulled her injured wrist into her chest, sobbing gently.

“What are you waiting for, get her!” Aliya yelled. Otabek stepped into the room, a piece of grass rope in his hands, and stalked closer to the woman while her head was down. The gun flew up from the ground, and pointed itself at him.

“Otabek, get out!” Yuri shrieked, unable to stop picturing Otabek’s lifeless body- A perfect circle in his glabella and the back of his head blown out. He ran into the room, still high on adrenaline from his parachuteless skydive, and grabbed the gun out of the air. Thinking back on it, it was not the smartest choice. The gun couldn't be budged. In fact, it settled itself right up against Otabek’s skin. Yuri tried desperately to wrestle the gun away without pulling the trigger, but it was all for naught. The gun could not be moved.

“It’s okay, they’re iron bullets, so nothing bad will happen to him,” Victor said cheerfully, before being thrown into the wall. He groaned, and clutched his stomach.

“He’ll die!” Yuri screamed, almost hysterically. He continued to pull at the gun, and even tried using the Veil to push it away. It was as though the metal was frozen to Otabek’s forehead.

“It’s okay,” He said, cross eyed as he stared up at the gun. “I’m honestly surprised that I’ve made it this far.”

“You’ll make it further!” Yuri promised, and rounded on the woman. A smug look had crossed her face. “You bitch!” He shouted, “Let my friend go!” Almost as soon as the words left his mouth, he felt the gun pressing into the nape of his neck.

“Trade your life for his,” She said wickedly. Yuri said nothing, for fear of death. All of a sudden, the woman was thrown into the wall and the gun fell away from Yuri’s neck. He deflated with relief, and turned back around to face Otabek. No sooner than he did, they were clinging to each other so tightly Yuri doubted that they would ever come apart again. Aliya stalked forward, the gun in her hand. She pressed it deep into the woman’s forehead.

“You deserve to die,” She said quietly. Her voice was calm but deadly. “Victor told me everything you’ve done. You’ve kidnapped innocent Mages. And they were _children._ What kind of sociopath do you have to be to imprison children? They didn't deserve any of what you put them through. And for what? You can't stand knowing that you are not special, that you will never be special. How many people had to die to satisfy your greed?” The raw emotion in her voice was breathtaking. Yuri wanted to help her, even though she didn't need it. The anger was nearly overtaking him already. In fact, he was sure that he was squeezing Otabek tightly enough to crack one of his ribs.

“You should let me live,” The woman said hoarsely. Aliya chuckled. It was cold and dark, and in that moment, Yuri finally accepted the reality of what was happening. The woman was about to die.

“For every reason you give me, Joclyn Sabine, I will sent a bullet through you. But I won't kill you. Not until you’ve felt the pain of all the Mages you’ve killed.”

“Liya,” Otabek mumbled into Yuri’s chest, “S-Stop.” She cracked the bones in her neck.

“That’s like asking a cat to not land on its feet,” Aliya said, not taking her eyes off the woman, “We can't coexist. She has to die.”

“Please,” Sabine begged, “I can get you money and research, if that’s what you want.” Aliya didn't break eye contact with the woman.

“I’ve been searching for someone like you my whole life, just to kill you,” She said. She put a bullet in Sabine’s right foot. Sabine screamed in agony.

“Please,” She gasped, “I’ll tell you how a human can do magic!” That seemed to pique Aliya’s interest, as it did Yuri’s. He was incredibly confused as to how Sabine was capable of what she had done when she was so incredibly ordinary.

“Go on,” She said, still holding the gun to Sabine’s head.

“It’s your souls! You- You do magic with your brain, and your soul is in your memory. W-We take your blood and your brains. We take the pieces of you that let you do magic and p-put them in ourselves. Th-That’s this orange stuff. Its…It’s the bodies of those children.” Yuri’s heart, already in his stomach, fell to his toes. He wanted to run and hide just as much as he wanted to stay and watch what Aliya did.

“You fucking bitch!” Aliya screamed. She sent another round into the woman’s left kneecap. Sabine began to sob, whining and screaming about the pain. “You will suffer, just like the kids you’re wearing!” Aliya yelled, and ripped the bangles from Sabine’s wrists and throat. “How many had to die just so that you could be a special little snowflake?!” She was roaring now, jabbing the gun into the woman’s stomach with every word.

“It is valuable research,” Sabine said, “We’re studying the differences between Mages and humans, so that all of us on this Earth can be equal.”

“No!” Aliya yelled, tears rolling down her cheeks. “You are _killing_ _off_ an endangered species! We don't deserve to die!” Yuri agreed with her.

“She’ll die thinking you do if you torture her,” Otabek said softly. Aliya turned her body away from Sabine, but left the gun in her face.

“Beka, stay out of matters you don't understand,” She growled. Otabek pressed himself even closer to Yuri, who tugged them both closer to the door. Aliya turned back to Sabine. “Like I was saying. You will feel our pain. This is for every single one of the kids you murdered, and for everyone who had to grow up like me and Beka did.”

“Beka and I,” Otabek mumbled into Yuri’s chest. Thankfully, it went unnoticed by his sister. Yuri almost laughed, although he feared that doing so would get him killed. He looked away when Aliya fired a bullet straight into Sabine’s pelvis. Otabek mumbled something that went unheard over the sound of the Sabine screaming. He pushed back on Yuri’s chest and stood free for a moment before striding up to Aliya. He pulled her around so that she was facing him, and gripped both of her shoulders.

“Liya, you’re being cruel.”

“She was cruel first,” Aliya said softly.

“It doesn't fucking matter who did it first! All that matters is that it ends.”

“I’m ending it,” Aliya mumbled, and looked down at the gun in her hand. “It’s for us, Beka. All we have fits in our backpacks, and we can never go a day knowing that we’ll survive the next. We live on the road, and we’re on wanted lists, and its all because of people like her.” Aliya’s voice became choked, and leaned into her brother. “And its not just us,” She forced out, “So many people live like this. Its fucked up, and I’m saving at least some of them.”

“You’re allowed to want to save people,” Otabek said, rubbing her back. “But you should never stoop to the lows of your enemy.” Aliya began to cry.

“She deserves it.”

“You think you’re better than her. Prove it by showing kindness,” Otabek said. He pushed himself away from his sister. She nodded, tears running down her face. She turned around slowly, and pressed the tip of the gun into Sabine’s glabella.

“I’m not sorry for what I did,” Sabine said, “The advancements in science that we have made are more incredible than you know.” Aliya shrugged.

“I don't need _you_ to explain them to me,” She said shortly, and squeezed the trigger. Yuri watched as the light left Sabine’s eyes, and turned his head away when she fell to the ground. Aliya threw the gun into the air, and then forced its atoms to scatter. After that, she nearly joined Sabine on the floor.

“Beka,” She said hoarsely, and began to tilt. Otabek ran forward, catching her before she hit the ground. She was still awake, although just barely, when he pulled her over to Yuri. He felt a pang of fear strike his chest.

“Are you okay?” He asked. She nodded.

“After sleeping for a full week, I will be.” Yuri laughed in relief, and pulled her up off of her feet so that her chin was tucked over his shoulder. He would be lying if he said that no magic was involved. He set her down.

“I think we could all use a week of sleep,” Yuri said.

“I second that,” Otabek said, leaning into Yuri.

“Ahem,” Victor said from the other side of the room. Yuri had almost forgotten that he was there. And now there were six eyes on the man. “You are all very smart. Seriously, I was just in the Veil, investigating, and the idea to take all of the air out of the building? Aliya, you are a _genius_. And a bitch, which is going to come in handy. And you, Mister Otabek! That little speech you just had? The world needs more people like you. We have plenty of smart people. Sorry, Aliya, but we don't need more of you. The world is in dire need of kind people, and Otabek, you have proven yourself today. Thank you for being friends with my Yurochka.” Otabek blushed, and ducked his head.

“Thank you,” He said, incredulously. He could hardly believe that out of their little trio, he was the one being praised. Most people only saw his sister when they looked at him.

“Anyway,” Victor said, “Let me steal all of their research and we can go home.” Yuri snorted. Of course the only things Victor cared about were the character of his friends and the research of the now-defeated Sabine Foundation. He went along with it anyway. The four of them scoured the building for every scrap of research, including a couple of hours spent hacking into the computers found in the quasi hospital suites. Once Victor had his hands on everything the Sabine Foundation had known about the nature of Mages, humans, and half-bloods, he allowed them to Melt back to the inn. He deposited everything into Aliya’s backpack, and they got ready to leave. Yuri felt oddly uneasy, as though something bigger was still coming.

When they left, Aliya and Victor simply Melted back to the room at the Grand Hotel. Otabek, however, needed to transport his motorcycle back. When he asked Yuri if they could Melt back, the boy asked if they could drive.

“Fuck no,” Otabek said, “I am not making that two day drive again.”

“Please?” Yuri asked. Otabek smirked.

“No. I’ll tell you what, though, we can Melt to Bangor and then drive back to Bar Harbor.” Yuri shrugged.

“Okay,” He said, “But just to be clear, you’re not saving me from any pain that motorcycle riding may cause. I always said that I was going with you when you left the island, and I still am.” Otabek smiled softly.

“Even after all that Sabine business? That’s every day of my life, Yura, are you sure you want to get caught up in all that shit?” Yuri nodded.

“Feel my heartbeat,” He demanded, and plucked Otabek’s hand from his side. He slid the man’s hand underneath his shirt and finally allowed it to rest over his heart. “I’m high on adrenaline, Beka, and it feels fucking awesome. I never feel like this on Mount Desert Island.”

“Is nearly dying every day a risk you’re willing to take?” Otabek asked. Yuri nodded without a second thought. The pair of them sat down on the motorcycle, and Yuri wrapped his arms around Otabek’s waist. He pressed a kiss to the nape of the man’s neck, closing his eyes. When he opened them, they were in Bangor. The motorcycle revved, and the journey back to Bar Harbor began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thank you to everybody who read and commented on this fic. It's amazing to know that (a few) people actually like the work I'm putting out, because most of the time, it feels like there's something missing from my work and I can't tell what. Anyway, another huge thank you. Please comment to let me know what you thought. I don't mean to sound greedy, but I like knowing that you guys actually want to read what I'm writing. But anyway, have a nice night/day/evening!
> 
> See you next time! 
> 
> catch me tumblr: paraduxkys


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